The Earth King's Treasure
by hi there flamingo
Summary: Toph and Sokka journey to Ba Sing Se and hear of a legendary treasure that has been passed down from Earth King to Earth King. The two set sail to find the treasure and run into a group of pirates that are after the treasure as well. Shenanigan guarantee.
1. Gaoling, Part One

Toph was not in the best attire to be hiding from her palace guards. She wore a white gown with a pale gold sash draped over her shoulders, which matched the silk bow tied around her midriff perfectly. Her hair was curled but pinned back in a high bun. Two strands, one on each side of her face, dangled down from the mass and framed her pentagonal face beautifully.

She wasn't supposed to be wandering around town this late at night, but she was starting to care less of how much trouble she got in with her parents even more than before. Her ears twitched attentively when she heard some rowdy yells come from a building across the street. Toph swiftly tip-toed to the opposite side of the cobblestone road and then slipped into the building without being noticed.

Inside she could sense dozens of tipsy men trotting around the room, their beers held high, as they sang along with the performer on stage. Toph figured a tavern would be one of the last places her guards would search for her, so hiding here for a while would have to do. She sat herself at the bar and on the opposite side stood the bartender, rubbing a glass clean with a rag. Toph's chin planted itself in her hand as she sighed heavily, causing her two strands of raven hair to fly upward.

"Can I get you anything?" the bartender asked politely.

Toph waved her hand, shooing the man away. "No, no, I'm fine," she muttered.

The bartender took a few steps to the right and asked the same question to another man sitting at the bar.

"I'll have a barracuda," the man ordered.

The barkeeper nodded. "Okay, one barracuda coming right up."

Toph's eyes widened in panic when she sensed three of her palace guards enter the tavern. She was so occupied with the barkeeper's conversation that she had not noticed the three men approaching the rundown building. The trio dressed in green armor burst through the bar doors and turned their heads in each direction, scanning the cramped room full of drunk men for Toph.

Toph bit her bottom lip nervously while trying to come up with a plan to get herself out of this predicament. Suddenly, an excellent idea presented itself to her and she didn't hesitate to put it into action. With a light kick to the ground with the tip of her bare toes, a rock jutted out of the floor and tipped a table over. Two men, their arms wrapped around one another's shoulders, were standing on that table. After picking themselves off the ground, they glared heatedly at the drunken man standing in front of the knocked over table. Suspecting that man had pushed it over, causing them to fall off, the two men stomped over while rolling up their sleeves.

"Did you just do that, you little weasel?" one man growled.

The accused man shook his head vigorously, but it didn't matter. All the denial in the world couldn't save this man from the two aggressive brutes. The scrawny man's stability revealed that he had probably only consumed one beer that night. However, the two goons were extremely intoxicated.

Once the first punch was thrown the entire tavern erupted into an all out brawl. Glass shattered everywhere and the bartender covered his head and ducked behind the bar, whimpering cowardly. Toph's plan had proven itself a success when the three palace guards were randomly pummeled by clumsy hooligans. Toph intended to make a break for it, but she was too absorbed in the performance of fighting Gaoling citizens before her.

A man across the room removed a small dagger from his boot and attempted to chuck it at the man, who had punched him earlier, but the inebriated man completely missed and the knife went soaring across the room. The gentleman who had ordered a barracuda spotted the dagger racing towards Toph just feet away from him, and he quickly sprung to his feet. The man grabbed Toph's hand and dragged her into the back room, evading the blade just in time. The man peered over his shoulder to see the dagger dart into the wooden paneled wall and shudder back and forth from its previous momentum.

The two reached the back alley where they caught their breath. "What just happened?" Toph questioned angrily.

"I just saved you from getting stabbed. That's what happened," the man panted.

He was tall and broad with dark skin. The young adult wore a faded blue robe that was tied with thick, white bands of cloth. Russet tights were tucked into his bulky, dried muck covered boots. A leather brown case holding a blue, steel boomerang was slung on his back and a silver sword nuzzled in its sheath hung at his hip. His face was long, with a defined cleft chin and rather large ears. The man's eyes were dark blue but sparkled brilliantly. His brown, shaggy hair was pulled back in a "warrior's wolf tail" and a small amount of stubble was beginning to grow around his neck and chin.

"While your deed was dandy and all, I can protect myself," Toph snarled.

The man retorted, "Doesn't seem like those guards think so."

Toph crossed her arms angrily. "Those kumquats have nothing but mush for brains. They don't know a thing about me."

A small smile appeared on the young man's face. He then cocked his head to this side, examining the young woman before him carefully. She looked so familiar to him but it had been so long the image and name escaped his mind.

He finally paired the two and exclaimed, "Toph, is that you?!"

Toph raised a brow, her nostrils flaring to the sides. "Who's asking?"

"Toph, it's me Sokka!" the man shouted in excitement.

"Snoozles, is that you?" Toph asked in disbelief.

Sokka slapped his palm to his forehead. "Wow, you've changed so much I didn't even recognize you!"

"How many blind girls forced to wear gowns do you know, boomerang boy?"

Sokka scratched the back of his neck and chuckled. "One too many, I guess."

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you either. I normally never forget a voice," Toph remarked. "And man, your's has deepened a lot since we last saw each other."

Sokka shrugged, slightly embarrassed, "Puberty or whatever."

"So what have you been up to? Why are you here in the Earth Kingdom?" Toph asked.

Sokka explained, "I'm here on vacation with my wife, actually."

Toph's enthusiasm decreased. "Oh," she said.

Sokka continued, "Yeah, you remember Suki, right?"

Toph grumbled, "How could I not?"

"Yep, she and I are happily married," Sokka sighed, stretching his arms up in the air.

"Glad I got an invite to the wedding," Toph seethed sarcastically.

Sokka winced, not realizing his fault until after announcing the news. "Sorry about that… I didn't think you'd be interested in dressing up and going to some boring, formal occasion." Sokka mimed holding a tiny tea cup with his pinky sticking out. "I say, good sir, this wedding you have thrown together has been quite the smashing gala."

Toph cracked a smile before punching Sokka roughly on the shoulder.

"Ow," he murmured while rubbing his shoulder.

"I let you off easy this time, meathead. Next time, don't forget about me," Toph warned.

"Enough about me, how has the fabulous Toph Bei Fong been doing? It's been at least two years since we last saw each other," Sokka asked. He then added, cheeks rosy, "And you've changed a lot."

Toph gritted her teeth. "In a good way!" he quickly corrected. "I mean- you look great."

Toph smiled. "Thanks, Snoozles. I'd return the compliment but I'm not even sure what you looked like before. Anyway, not much has changed since two years ago. My parents are still sheltering me like I'm four years old even though I'm nineteen."

"Have you talked to Aang or Zuko in a while?"

"Aang visited about a year ago when attending a Peace Council meeting in Ba sing se, but that's about it," Toph informed him, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Aang visits Katara a lot- I mean A LOT," Sokka embellished.

"Hold on, I think the guards found their way out of the tussle going on in the bar. They're heading out here right now," Toph reported, her hand pressed up against the cool, stone ground.

"How 'bout I walk you home?" Sokka offered as the two stepped out of the alleyway and onto the street. "If we get moving maybe we can beat them back there."

"Where's Suki? Isn't she gonna be worrying about her husband being gone for so long?" Toph questioned teasingly.

Sokka waved his hand reassuringly. "I told her I was going to the bar. She knows I'm out. No big deal."

Toph shrugged. "If you insist."

Sokka followed Toph to her bedroom window and helped her climb through it. Toph dusted off her dress once having both of her bare feet safely on the ground. She placed her tiny hands on the frame of the window and smiled.

"Thanks for walking me home, Ponytail. It was very gentlemanly of you… and kind of weird to be honest," Toph joked.

Sokka took a step closer towards the side of the mansion and whispered objectively, "Hey, I can be classy and fancy."

Toph snorted.

"Didn't you see me holding that tea cup before?"

Toph kindly pointed out, "You mean the imaginary one?"

Sokka nodded his head with a crooked grin. "My pinky was out and everything. Now that's class."

A soft voice came from the hallway. "Toph, is that you?"

"That's my mom. Scram, fancy pants!" Toph shoved Sokka to the ground and spun around. She cleared her throat loudly to cover up Sokka's squeal of surprise. There was a loud thud from outside her bedroom window and muttering followed. Sokka crawled away on his hands and knees, trying his best not to be seen by the dozens of Bei Fong guards surrounding the perimeter.

Toph's father and mother entered her room. Her mother gasped in relief, "Toph, darling, you're okay!"

Toph huffed in annoyance, "Yes mother, I'm perfectly fine."

"Where have you been, young lady?" her father pressed with a stern expression. Years of stressing over their daughter's unruly behavior had taken effect.

"I've been home all night," Toph lied.

Lao quickly argued, "You most certainly have not. We couldn't find you anywhere! We sent ten guards to search for you all throughout town."

"It's a big house," Toph simply replied.

The man's face burned red with rage. "We've told you on countless occasions we don't want you out any time after dinner. That means just before sundown you are to be in this household, understand?"

Toph didn't respond. She had given up on arguing with their demands years ago. Now, she just ignored them.

Toph peered over her shoulder, even though she knew Sokka wasn't there. He had fled by then. Toph couldn't help but turn her head towards the spot where Sokka previously stood, wishing he was still there. It was strange, even after all these years the two could still joke around about Sokka's nonexistent manners and classiness. It was as if nothing changed. However, there was one thought that couldn't escape Toph's mind. Sokka was married to Suki, and that was that.

The next morning Toph was disturbed mid-drool by one of their housemaids who, oddly, was making her bed while she was still in it. Each one of Toph's limbs was stretched in a different direction. Toph's head was hanging off the side of her bed upside down, so the saliva dripping from her mouth was seconds away from sliding down her forehead. This event was thwarted when a heavy blanket covered her face, making it difficult for her to breathe. She shot up and glared at the offender. The cleaning lady left once realizing her mistake, and allowed Toph to get dressed. However, Toph decided to postpone dressing herself and instead went into the dining room to get some breakfast.

As Toph neared the dining room she sensed a familiar presence seated at the rectangular, stone table. She could feel her parents sitting across from them, calmly sipping their morning tea. She shuffled into the dinning room and yawned.

"Good Toph, you're awake," her mother, Poppy, said.

Toph scoffed, "Yeah, only because the brainless maid started making my bed _while I was in it_. I guess they don't teach foreigners the difference between a bed with a person in it and a bed without-"

Her father interrupted intolerantly, "Toph, that is enough. Our employees are like family and should be treated as such."

Toph asked as she plopped down one seat from the visitor, "How's it goin' over there, Sokka?"

Sokka replied with a mouthful, but it was unclear of what he said.

After taking a nibble from the biscuit on her plate, Poppy dabbed her lips lightly with a napkin. She then smiled, hiding her disgust, "Toph, you never told us your friend had such… an appetite."

Sokka beamed, revealing the bits of meat caught in his teeth. He was clenching a giant knife that he was using to cut his ham steak. In his other hand were a biscuit and a silver fork that speared a clump of egg. Sokka had five plates piled with food in front of him, and he planned on eating it all. The more he ate the more food the servants would bring out for him. He only wished it were like this back home.

"Toph, I'm thinking about moving in with you just so I can eat like this everyday," Sokka muffled, his cheeks filled with egg and rooster ham.

"Oh no, I'm afraid Toph won't be courted by just anyone," her mother said, not realizing it was a joke.

Suddenly, Sokka started to choke. His eyes practically popped out of his head as he pounded on his chest. He hacked and coughed, attempting to expunge the chunk of food from his throat. Toph slid her right foot across the ground, making Sokka's chair jerk forward. Sokka's stomach rammed into the edge of the table and the moist, chewed piece of food shot out of his mouth and could've taken off someone's head. The glob stuck to the wall and both of Toph's parents turned their heads to stare at the hunk, which had just flown between them seconds ago.

Sokka coughed violently numerous more times before replying, "You're daughter is a lovely woman but I'm not here because of that."

"Well, regardless, we're only allowing Toph to wed someone from the Earth Kingdom," her mother enlightened. "And from the look of it you don't appear to be from around here." The woman stared at Sokka's filthy, blue robe in slight repulsion.

Loa rested his forearm on the table and raised a brow at Sokka. "Are you here just to mooch food off my family?"

"Dad, Sokka's been my friend for years, and while he may eat an abnormally large amount, he would never do that," Toph assured the man. "Why _are_ you here, boomerang boy?"

Sokka swallowed before answering, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Earth Rumble tournament with me today."

"What about Suki?"

Sokka explained, "Suki said she'll pass. She'd rather not watch a butch of muscley, sweaty guys chucking rocks at each other for other's entertainment. So I thought, 'Why not invite my old pal Toph?'."

Lao immediately disallowed, "No."

"What?" Toph snapped.

The man shook his head. "I will not permit you to return to that vile place. Do you not recall what happened last time? All those men ganged up on you."

"They didn't gang up on me." Toph crossed her arms.

"Mr. Bei Fong, I assure you that Toph will not be participating in the competition. We're going for mere fun and entertainment," said Sokka.

Toph murmured to him, "It doesn't matter what you say."

"Huh?" Sokka gave her a look of confusion.

"They're not gonna let me go. No point in arguing about it."

Sokka turned back to her parents with a resolute expression. "Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong, please, I guarantee Toph will not be put in harm's way. I give you my word," Sokka told them sincerely. He was trying his best to yank Toph's parent's unwillingness away from them, but it was useless.

Poppy responded, "We appreciate your genuine effort, young man, but we have made up our minds."

Sokka glanced at Toph to see her bowing her head and frowning, but unexpectedly she winked at him and cracked a smile. Sokka stood from his position at the table and thanked the Bei Fong family for their munificence. He then followed Toph out of the room and the two walked down the hallway together.

"Meet me in the alley behind the bar after sundown," Toph arranged sneakily.

"What? Why?" Sokka asked obliviously.

Toph grunted, "Ugh, because we're going to the Earth Rumble tournament, duh."

Sokka spoke softly, "But you're parents said you couldn't go."

Toph stopped and placed her hand on his broad shoulder. "Snoozles, you should know by now that I don't play by the rules."

Sokka rubbed his chin, impressed. "Ahhh, so you were just pretending to act all depressed so they wouldn't suspect you're gonna sneak out."

"Shhh!" Toph covered his mouth with her hand. "They're just down the hall." Toph put her hand back at her side when a palace guard passed by. "Don't forget," Toph reminded the boy before walking away.

----

A woman wearing a black, hooded cloak stood in the dark alleyway. A thin layer of mist hung in the air and her shadow shifted back and forth. She paced up and down the alley, waiting for the person she was expecting. Her raven hair was pulled back with a golden headband and the rest was tucked behind her ears. No skin could be seen but her face, hands, and the tips of her toes poking out from underneath her black pants.

Her ears twitched when hearing the scuffling of boots against the cobblestone. She turned. A stranger's shadow stretched down the lane. They slowly stalked towards the woman and she flashed a smile of anticipation.

"Fancy seeing you here," the man said jokingly.

The woman replied, "Fancy… feeling your vibrations here."

He laughed. "Alright, Toph, let's get going. We don't want to stay in one place too long."

"Were you seen or something?" Toph questioned.

Sokka answered, "No, but better safe than sorry. Nice disguise by the way."

Toph extended her arms out, allowing the boy to get the full view. "You like?" she asked.

"Very."

"Thanks."

The two arrived at the stadium. The arena composed solidly of russet-yellow earth looked the same as it did the last time they were there. Rows of stone benches surrounded the elevated platform of rock in the center of the enormous room. The roar of a hundred men echoed throughout the stadium.

"Man, it feels good to be back," Toph sighed contently. She placed her feet on the back of the seat in front of her and put her hands behind her head.

A tan man covered in muscles jumped into the center of the fighting ring, causing the area of earth around him to bend downward. He pulled the earth upward, creating a post for him to stand on. He threw his fist in the air and everyone in the stands cheered boisterously. Sokka was surprised to not see Xin Fu as the master of ceremonies, but then he remembered how long it's been since last time. The man had probably gotten arrested by now. Next to him, Toph smirked victoriously, recalling the time she trapped Xin Fu and Master Yu in a metal box. Sokka had no idea they were probably dead.

"Welcome one and all to the Earth Rumble Tournament! I'm your host, Prithu. Are you ready to rumble?!" the host shouted.

"YEAHHHHHHH!" Toph and Sokka stood and screamed.

"Without further ado, let's bring out our first challengers of the evening! In this corner, it's the Mountain Warper and in this corner it's King Stone," Prithu introduced.

He then rocketed himself in the air, landing in the stands. The two contenders strutted out onto the field. Mountain Warper was a short, yet burly man. He wore a helmet similar to a construction hat. He also wore green pants with a brown belt with a pick and axe hanging from his belt loops.

King Stone was an extremely tall man with a crown made of stone on his head. He had a lengthy, brown beard that went all the way down to his bellybutton.

"Begin!" Prithu declared.

The men charged at each other, shouting like wild animals. King Stone bended a rock from the ground and hurled it towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper removed the pick from his belt and destroyed the flying rock with his weapon. Mountain Warper then dug his pick into the hard rock, causing the entire stadium to shake. Without warning, a giant spike jabbed King Stone in the abdomen, almost sending him off the edge. He quickly rebounded by pitching another boulder towards Mountain Warper, but the man was so short it went flying right over his head.

"What was that?!" Sokka yelled.

Toph hollered tauntingly, "Who taught you how to throw, your grandma?!"

Sokka added obnoxiously, "Yeah, the point is to hit 'em, not miss completely!"

King Stone growled at the two and sent six rocks soaring towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper hit the ground with his axe, creating a large mountain in the middle of the ring which he stood atop of. Each of King Stone's boulders crumbled after colliding with the small rock formation. Mountain Warper finished his adversary off by pounding his fists to the floor, making the battle field suck the mountain back in and kicking King Stone off the platform. Everyone cheered for the bender's victory.

The next challenger walked onto the turf. He went by the name "Despair". He was a pale, gangly man. His black, greasy hair swooped in front of his eyes which had purple bags hanging under them. He wore black tights with a leather vest and a spiked belt around his waist.

"Despair? When I look at you I don't feel despair. The thing that comes to mind is pity!" Mountain Warper mocked.

Despair said nothing. He just had that same, gloomy expression. Soon, the battle ensued. Mountain Warper bended another mountain out of the ground and punched numerous stones out of the mountain towards Despair. Despair bent his knees and whipped his arms to the side, lifting a rocky shield that protected him from the attacks. Despair then kicked the shield, sending it towards Mountain Warper. Mountain Warper used his pick to crush the flat rock. Next, he rolled speedily towards Despair.

"Get him, Mountain Warrior!" Toph cheered.

Sokka yelled energetically, "Show Despair you know how to tear!"

Despair stopped Mountain Warper right in his tracks with a stone wall and then snatched the man's axe. Despair had the axe above his head, ready to swing it and make a rock guillotine-like trap.

Mountain Warper opened his aching eyes to quickly recognize the man approaching to attack him. He rolled to the side and evaded the attack and then caught Despair off guard by striking him with a rock. Despair skidded across the ground and was inches away from falling off the edge.

"Despair is looking pretty des_perate_," Sokka ridiculed.

"C'mon, Mountain Climber! If you're a man then hit 'em again!" Toph yelled.

Sokka corrected, "Uh- Toph, it's Mountain _Warper_."

"I don't care what his name is as long as he wins."

Despair got up slowly and then knocked out Mountain Warper with a boulder. The audience was shocked that Despair had won but everyone still applauded exuberantly.

"What was that?!" Sokka cried, stretching his cheeks downward with the palms of his hands.

"Did I tell you to just lose like that?! No. I did not!" Toph bellowed angrily.

The next contestant was Steel Mandible. He was another tall, pale man with a metal contraption around his jaw. This man easily knocked out Despair and continued to make his way to the top.

"Congratulations, Steel Mandible for coming so far. Now, you are to face off against our champion! Everyone please welcome back, The Slammer!" Prithu announced.

Toph and Sokka stayed seated whilst the entire stadium stood up and cheered rowdily for the title holder. It was the most cheering they had heard all night. At the sound of his name, a large, hefty man stomped onto the platform. He was probably three times the height of Toph and his gut was huge. The Slammer wore a brown vest and matching tights with his Earth Rumble champ belt fastened around his large waist. The man also had a large turtle duck shell strapped to his back.

"Ready to slam!" The Slammer boomed.

Prithu declared, "Fight!"

The Slammer raised his flabby arms in the air, lifting the ground below Steel Mandible. The Slammer lobbed the mass of rock, along with Steel Mandible who was standing on top, out of bounds. As easily as Steel Mandible walked onto the field, he lost. All his exertion working to the top was proven a waste when The Slammer tossed him aside like yesterday's newspaper. Sokka's jaw dropped in disbelief and disappointment. Toph sat there speechless, unable to fathom how a brainless fool like The Slammer could be the champion. In her mind, he poisoned the good name of being Earth Rumble Champ, a title she possessed in the past.

----

Toph's mother crept down the hallway in her night gown. She was feeling a tad guilty for being so hard on Toph earlier in the day.

"Toph, darling, are you awake?" her mother asked softly after knocking gently on Toph's bedroom door.

When Toph did not answer she opened the door a crack. The door opened to expose a pitch black bedroom. Mrs. Bei Fong tucked her arm between the door and the door frame, allowing her candle to dimly light the room. The woman gasped when looking to Toph's bed and seeing no one was there. Poppy dropped the candle as she rushed down the hallway to deliver the news to her husband.

She hurried into their master bedroom where her husband was in bed, reading by candle light. He looked up from his book.

"Toph's run away," Poppy reported in a pant.

Lao sighed, "Again?"

Poppy hung her head. "Yes."

Lao shed the layers of heavy blankets off the lower half of his body and followed his wife out of the room, a candle in his left hand. They reached a guard which was patrolling the hall, attending to his duties.

Lao greeted his employee, "Sir."

The sentinel saluted his superiors. "How can I assist you, Mr. and Mrs. Bei Fong?" he asked.

"Toph snuck out again and we need you to search the city for her. Bring a couple of other men as well," Toph's father instructed.

"Yes, sir," the guard obeyed.

----

Back at the Earth Rumble tournament, The Slammer had just defeated Steel Mandible without breaking a sweat.

"The Slammer has defended his title successfully and remains our champion!" Prithu declared, holding the victor's fist in the air as high as he could. Prithu then paraded across the platform, shaking a brown sack. "I am offering this sack of gold pieces to anyone in the audience who thinks they can beat our champion. Any takers?"

"Toph, you could totally kick that guy's butt," Sokka told her.

Toph agreed confidently, "I know, right?"

"So why don't you?" Sokka asked.

Toph drew back with uncertainty. "I don't know if that's such a good idea-"

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Sokka squirmed, pointing excitedly at Toph who sat next to him. "She can! She can! She can!" Sokka squealed.

"Way to go, brainless. Now everyone in the stands is staring at me. One of our main objectives on this outing was to stay hidden, remember?"

Sokka looked at Toph. "Wasn't it you who said earlier that you don't play by the rules?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Young lady in the cloak, come on down!" Prithu invited.

Toph scaled to the top of the platform and made sure her hood covered her eyes, hiding the fact that she was blind. Once someone spotted that noticeable characteristic somebody could possibly recognize her and reveal her true identity.

"What's your name, courageous one?" Prithu asked her, like in a pre-game interview.

"The Blind Bandit! She's the Blind Bandit!" Sokka shouted from the stands, his hands cupped around his mouth.

The crowd gasped in amazement. "The Blind Bandit is a legend. I do not believe a fragile, tiny girl like you could be the renowned Blind Bandit," Prithu remarked, crossing his arms in disbelief.

Toph swung her right foot out in front of her and low to the ground. The earth below Prithu crumbled and cracked before launching him into the audience.

"How about now?" Toph sneered.

The Slammer questioned, "Blind Bandit? Wasn't she unstoppable when she was the champion?"

"Yes-sir-ee, and I still am," replied Toph with a self-assured smirk.

The Slammer flexed his muscles and grunted, "You will no longer be unstoppable! I will bring the Blind Bandit down!"

The Slammer yanked a slab of rock from the ground and hurled it at Toph. Toph turned the side, avoiding the flying rock. She stomped her left foot forward, causing a stone to rocket out of the ground and peg The Slammer in the gut. The Slammer flopped onto his side, moaning in agony. Toph twirled, throwing her flattened palm in the air, which sent The Slammer high in the air.

The heavy man landed on his stomach, shaking the arena thunderously. He picked himself off the ground and while doing so Toph sent a boulder that struck him in the hip, causing his mass amount of weight to bring him back down. The Slammer made one last attempt to get off the ground. Once standing, he body slammed a slab of rock, causing it to bounce towards Toph. She stopped the sheet of rock right in its path and punched it towards The Slammer's feet. The Slammer pitched another boulder crashing it into the one Toph had backfired. He then sent himself soaring upward and descended towards the platform with his stomach down.

"He's gonna do a belly flop on the field! He's insane!" a spectator cried.

The Slammer plummeted towards the fighting ring and landed on his stomach, shaking the whole stadium thunderously. Pointed rocks shot out of the ground all over the ring randomly. Toph easily evaded each one and when her opponent was back on his feet, she turned each rocky dagger on its side and bended them at The Slammer. The Slammer went flying out of bounds and his back hit the front of the stands. He slid down the side of the wall, groaning in agony.

With Prithu still far off in the stands, all the viewers stood up and cheered without an official call. The Slammer had definitely lost and Toph had regained her title. _It feels good to be champ again,_ she thought.

Toph was standing in the center of the ring, basking in all her glory, when she heard a shout come from the stands. She then realized two of her palace guards spotted her. Toph retrieved her winnings from Prithu and hurried over to Sokka.

"We gotta skedaddle, now!" Toph informed him.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked.

Toph pointed across the stadium. "That."

Sokka's smile fell from his face. "Great," he commented sarcastically.

"There she is!" a guard yelled, waving towards Toph to the other man.

Toph grabbed Sokka's hand and dragged him up the steps, racing towards the upper level's exit. As they dashed through the entryway, Toph could hear one of them shout "Follow her". The pair found themselves outside the Earth Rumble arena and continued running until their backs were pressed up against the cold, brick wall of an alleyway. Sokka had no idea what side of town they were in or how close they were to Toph's house. If they made it there before the guards did then they'd be safe. Besides, it wasn't like Toph could be put under anymore restrictions if they did get caught. She was already being watched basically twenty-four hours a day by servants.

Toph could feel the men nearing them, so they were forced to flee once again. This time they made it to the alley behind the bar where they had met up with each other earlier that day.

"I think we lost 'em," Sokka wheezed.

Toph replied in annoyance, "Ugh, not quite. They're coming this way."

"Are you sure it's them? It could happen to be some other men dressed in heavy Earth Kingdom armor," Sokka proposed.

Toph asked, "Willing to stick around and find out?"

Sokka imagined what would happen if they did. "No, not particularly."

"Then let's head the opposite way around and take a few shortcuts to my house," Toph planned.

Just when the two friends had lost the stubborn palace guards, they were intruded upon by some new visitors. They rounded a corner into an intersection of four alleyways. Men crawled out of every crack and surrounded the pair. Toph got into her battle-stance and Sokka wrapped his fingers around the handle of his sword, prepared to remove the shiny weapon from its sheath.

By this time the moon was high in the sky, the slender crescent being the only provider of light in the streets of Gaoling. A chilly breeze blew flyers and other garbage about the road, but other than that the area was still. The five men encircled Toph and Sokka. Each of them growled quietly as their glares intensified.

Sokka examined each one thoroughly, wondering if he had ever run into one of them before. Two of them were identical twins, but one had black, sketchy tattoos scribbled all over his arms. The brothers wore matching caramel colored pants with numerous holes in them. Their long, silver hair was tied back in natty ponytails and a few of their teeth were silver as well.

The man next to them took his battle stance low to the ground. He looked like a tiger ready to pounce and his attire matched his stance. The man wore an orange jumpsuit with three black stripes painted across both of his cheeks. On his hands were black gloves that had extended claws attached to them.

The man that appeared to be the leader of the pack was huge. He had tattoos swarming all over his body and his head was bald and pale beside a ginger poof ball at the tip of his cranium.

His sidekick was almost as tall as him, but very lean. His oddly green colored hair was cut in a way that revealed three strips of skin across his skull. He wore dark green shorts and a brown vest with chains ornamenting the fabric. This particular man grasped a thick sword in his left hand.

The last man was average looking and didn't look like he'd be a gang banger. He fashioned Earth Kingdom robes and his jet black hair was held up by a fancy, golden pin.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sokka questioned immediately. He plastered a firm, obdurate look on his face, trying his best to appear as intimidating as the batch of hooligans around him.

The leader stepped forward. "Whacha' got in that bag?" he asked, licking his bottom lip like it was a mouthwatering piece of meat.

"No asking questions until ours are answered first," Toph demanded.

One of the twins responded maliciously, "Our identities won't matter when we're taking the cash out of your very hands."

Toph raised a playful brow. "Oh, really? And how do you plan on doing that? You're rightfully outnumbered."

The thugs erupted into laughter.

Sokka turned his head rapidly in each direction, scanning the ground for the missing members of their party that Toph could possibly be speaking of. "Uh- Toph, actually we're the ones outnumbered," Sokka pointed out nervously.

"Your threats are cute, but they won't do you any good," the other twin cackled.

The first added, "So, just hand over the gold now, and no one gets hurt."

Toph continued to string them along. "How do you know its gold? How do you know its even money?"

The lead crook noted, "If it ain't money then why your boyfriend clinging to it so hard?"

Sokka began to explain through lies, "Well sir, it's our last bit of food and we-"

"Enough!" the boss hindered. "We don't have time for your shenanigans. However, I do have a proposition for you."

"What's that?" Sokka asked, easing his grip on his sword.

"If you think you can beat all five of us so easily then prove it. We saw you knock out The Slammer which was so obviously a scam. So we'll see if you can really fight," the leader derided.

The man with claws joined in the revelry and mocked, "Ya know, your boyfriend's been awful quiet. I bet he couldn't even pick up his sword if you weren't there by his side."

The first twin snickered, "He probably couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag!"

The average man held his ribs which ached from laughter. "I bet he couldn't beat us even if we had our hands and feet tied together!"

Sokka cringed as each insult hit him like a slap in the face. His eye brows and upper lip quivered with fury. He shook, ire coursing through his veins. Sokka removed his sword from its sheath and surprised the closest ruffian by tripping him with the weapon and then elbowing him to ground. The man groaned in agony as he lied on the cement, finding himself unable to move. Sokka turned towards the other four men with a fire in his eyes.

Sokka challenged, "I'll take you on! I'll take you on right now all by myself!"

Toph placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sokka wait, are you sure about this? I can help you whoop these guys' butts no problem."

Sokka answered, without turning back to look at her, "That's the thing, Toph. I need to do this alone. I need to prove myself worthy. I'm finally gonna prove myself to everyone… and to you."

Toph hesitated before replying, "You don't have to prove yourself to me. I already know that you're a genius and completely awesome at sword fighting. And I know there's more to you than that, so you've already proven yourself."

"I still have to do this."

Toph nodded. "I understand."

"You two gonna keep flirting or are we gonna get this over with?" the green haired man jeered.

With that, Sokka charged towards the green haired goon, holding his sword back over his shoulder. Their swords clashed and Sokka quickly jabbed the man in the ribs with his right elbow before slashing his sword out of his hand. Sokka saw the twins approaching him swiftly from the rear. He removed his boomerang from its case and chucked it high in the air. The silver boomerang twinkled in the moonlight before spinning back around and clonking both men over the head.

Sokka reached up and captured his boomerang in the palm of his hand. _Three down, two to go_, he thought. Suddenly, both the leader and the tiger man were attacking Sokka and sending assaults every which way. It all happened so fast that the rogue with claws was able to cut Sokka across the hip. Sokka bent over to clench his stinging side, which was a major mistake. The tattoo covered leader bended a large boulder out from under Sokka's feet, sending him skidding across the ground.

"Sokka!" Toph cried. As the scuffle grew longer Toph found it more and more difficult to keep herself from assisting Sokka. However, she respected his wishes to the best of her ability.

Sokka lay on his back, cradling his burning wound. Blood stained his blue robe and fingerless gloves from holding his hip. He opened his eyes, knowing if he stayed still any longer the two men left would maul him. His vision was blurred. So much blood loss in so little time was beginning to have an effect. Luckily, he spotted his sword inches away. He crawled towards it but the tiger man swiped it away. The clawed man next sliced Sokka on his extended forearm. Sokka unleashed a piercing cry from his lips that made Toph cringe.

Toph wasn't sure if she should step in or not. Soon, this brawl could become a matter between life and death.

Sokka wrapped his legs around the clawed man's ankles, tripping him. Sokka then scrambled to his feet and pinned the man to the ground with the sharp point of his sword. This left him with only his boomerang to defend himself with against the leader of the pack. The two stood there for a moment. They simply stared the other one down across the alleyway. After grunting ferociously, the leader punched several boulders towards Sokka. He was able to evade almost all of them and the rest he slashed with the sharp end of his boomerang.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the boss lowered his head and charged towards Sokka in order to engage in closer combat. Sokka slid through the man's legs after spotting an ownerless sword on the opposite side of the darkened street. He snatched the weapon by the handle as he slid by and then used the end of it to help himself off the ground. Right when he stood up he was greeted by multiple rocks flying at his face. Sokka let out his infamous cry of fear and ducked, allowing the boulders to crash into the brick wall behind him. Dust dispersed throughout the area, making it even more difficult to see with the limited moonlight.

Sokka brought the sword above his head and dashed towards his opponent, screaming nonsense. The thug pelted Sokka in the ribs with a giant boulder, sending him falling on his back. A sharp, tingly pain quickly trickled its way up his spine when he made contact with the hard cobblestone. Sokka squeezed his eyes tightly, hoping that would suffice instead of belting out another unnecessary howl of pain. The leader pinched Sokka between two slabs of rock so he was no longer able to move.

Sokka shook in fright. He and Toph both knew this man would not be afraid to kill him and he was desperate enough to take another's life for whatever could be in that sack. The mugger slowly made his way over to Sokka and glanced down at the man he had defeated. A victorious smirk crept across the thug's face. He brought both his hands back to deliver the final blow. Sokka shut his eyes and gulped, knowing this could possibly be his last few seconds on earth.

Suddenly, Sokka heard the shifting of rock. A soft grunt followed and Sokka opened his eyes to see the thug being launched over the roof tops. He looked aside to see Toph in her fighting stance and a boulder sticking out of the ground. Toph hurried to his aide, first removing the two wedges of stone that pinned Sokka to the ground. The slabs withdrew back into the earth and Sokka sprawled out in agony and relief.

Toph knelt down beside him, an unfamiliar look of concern and compassion on her face. Typically at a time like this, Toph would say something like "Get off the ground you baby and be a man. Suck it up", but this time around she was genuinely worried for Sokka's well-being.

Sokka muffled feebly, "Thank you, Toph."

"Are you okay?" she asked, not realizing the stupidity of her question.

Sokka answered jokingly, "Yeah, I'm doing pretty good. I'm a little hungry but other than that…"

Toph scowled. "Watch it, buddy. I'm only this nice once in a blue moon so appreciate it. You don't want to wind up in worse condition do ya?" Even though she masked a tough attitude, she felt relieved that Sokka was still able to kid around despite his physical state.

"Let's try and get you off the ground," Toph suggested, slipping her hand behind his sore back in order to help him lean forward.

Sokka winced in the process. The injury that caused the most discomfort and pain was his hip. Three deep, long scratches across his hip bone made it nearly impossible for him to move the lower half of his body without an incredibly agonizing twinge. Toph bended a rock slowly and steadily out of the ground to help get Sokka off the ground. Finally, Sokka was draped over her shoulders and the two started making their way out of the alleyway.

"Let's get you back to your hotel," Toph requested, not looking forward to dragging this man across town.

Sokka objected abruptly, catching Toph by surprise, "No! No! Your house is closer. Let's go there."

"You realize that I'm gonna have to sneak you in, right? That's a lot more work than just going to your hotel across town," Toph pointed out, a bit annoyed that she'd now have to sneak Sokka in her own house and find him an unused bedroom without the guards noticing. "And what about Suki?"

Sokka assured her, groaning from the throbbing ache in his side and forearm, "She won't notice that I'm gone for one night. She probably wants a break from me anyway. I'll explain it all to her tomorrow. She'll understand."

Toph sighed, "If you say so."

* * *

**A/N: The main plot won't set in until a couple more chapters, but I assure you that the next few are still relevant and worth reading. They're just leading up to the whole thing with Toph and Sokka becoming pirates. Which is gonna be totally awesome and badass.**

**Thank you to my two incredibly awesome betas: Leona629 and PetertheChameleon!**

**On a side note, why does almost ever Avatar fic have Sokka getting hurt in it? I think he just makes it too easy for us.**

**Please review! Did you like it? Was it a total disaster? Should I continue? It's all up to you.**


	2. Gaoling, Part Two

Gaoling Part Two

"Almost there, Snoozles, just hang in there," Toph encouraged Sokka as she helped him limp his way towards the Bei Fong estate.

The moon was a ways past its peak, the sky still absorbed with darkness. Tiny specks of light could be seen from down the road where lit torches bordered the perimeter of the property. There was about a dozen guards patrolling the courtyard. Mazy hedges and flowered bushes spiraled their way all throughout the courtyard and an elegant fountain was displayed in the center.

Each man marched up and down their own gravel path wearily. As they approached the front gate, Toph made the earth rumble in the back corner of the courtyard and luckily some leaves scratched against each other as well. At the sound of a possible intruder, each guard was curious to see what had happened and headed for the disturbance. This was the perfect diversion and the opportune moment for Toph and Sokka to sneakily pass by.

Fortunately for them, there were no more guards they would have to slink by beyond that point. There were many hallways in the Bei Fong mansion and there was one particular hallway where all the bedrooms branched off of. Toph opened the door to the furthest one away from her parents so they would not wake from Toph aiding to Sokka's wounds.

The room was pitch black but a dim crack of light crept in from the hallway, allowing Sokka to see the bed he would momentarily collapse onto. Toph lowered her shoulder in a particular maneuver that would have Sokka safely roll off her shoulder and bounce onto the bed. However, Toph's plan did not go over as well as it did in her mind. Sokka's back plummeted to the surface of the bed and he accidentally dragged Toph down with him.

"Whoa!" Toph cried as she was yanked downwards.

Toph ended up lying on top of Sokka, supporting some of her body weight by catching herself on her forearms. However, their chests were pressed together in an unexpected yet exhilarating manner that caused an awkward moment between the two. Sokka pulled his head back, giving himself a double-chin, as he waited for Toph to remove herself from her current position.

Sokka blushed. "Uh, Toph- you can get off me now."

Toph snapped, trying her best to cover up her embarrassment, "Calm your ostrich horses, Ponytail, it was an accident."

Sokka paused. "Then why are you still on me?" he asked.

Toph chuckled in embarrassment, "Oh, right."

Toph picked herself off him and told him to remove his tunic and wrap it around his waist.

"You want me to take my shirt off?" Sokka raised a single brow.

Toph growled, "Ugh, just do it. It'll help stop the bleeding," she continued, "I would help but I'm not really sure how to do that. I can't exactly see your cuts or anything."

Sokka struggled to find the strength to simply undress himself. He winced and made a hissing sound between his teeth as he tightened the tunic around his hips.

"No problem," he reassured his friend, lying only to comfort her. "This should be good. The bleeding's stopped anyway."

A soft knock on the door startled the two. In walked a guard wearing his earth toned uniform and armor. His hair was not visible under his broad helmet but he did have a brown goatee. His face was rectangular and resolute with bushy eye brows and deep wrinkles. His wizened face intensified when setting eyes on the wounded man.

"Lady Toph, is everything okay?" he asked quietly. His voice was hoarse yet gentle.

Toph rolled her cloudy, grey eyes, anticipating a ramble about how much trouble she was in. "Oh, fantastic," she muttered sarcastically.

The man entered the room with a large, burning candle and closed the door behind him. "Do not be alarmed. The name's Musaku and I want to help," he proffered sincerely. "Where are you hurt?"

Sokka answered, "My hip, ribs, and forearm."

"I'll get some water and bandages," he insisted and hurried out of the room before Toph or Sokka could object.

Toph waited for the man to leave before advising, "Maybe you should lean forward. It'll be easier to bandage you up that way."

"I don't know if I can," Sokka admitted.

"Sure you can. Now suck it up and move on up here."

Sokka clenched his side and gave his best attempt at tilting forward, but he ended up crashing back down on the bed. The second time around, Toph placed her hand behind his neck and helped push him forward. Sokka was amazed that such a powerful girl had such delicate hands. He shook his head and quickly corrected himself after catching a second glance at Toph. She was most certainly not a little girl anymore. She had developed into a beautiful, young woman.

Musaku returned with a small pail of water, several bandages, and a steaming cup of herbal tea. He planted himself along side Sokka on the bed, making Toph feel uncomfortably close to the man. Toph immediately got off the bed and leaned against the wall.

"Here, drink this. It'll relieve some of the pain," Musaku explained, holding the tea in front of Sokka.

Sokka gripped the cup shakily and poured some of it in his mouth. The hot liquid trailed down his throat and cleared away some unwanted saliva and mucus. Sokka gladly finished the cup of tea and looked at the man, ready for him to commence the next step in the healing process.

Musaku had Sokka unravel the robe from around his waist and the white bandages that he normally wore around his forearms. The guard dipped a towel in the water and wiped the blood away from Sokka's forearm and hip area. Sokka felt a bit uncomfortable as the stranger helped his gashes, but the man was very good at it and seemed to know what he was doing.

"You seem to have a knack for this," Sokka complimented.

Musaku explained, not looking away from his work, "I used to attend Ba Sing Se University where I was studying to become a doctor. I wanted to help people that had been injured in the war. Sadly, when my father died, I no longer had the money to continue going to school. So, I found this job working as a guard for your parents. I've been here ever since."

"Strange, you've been working here for so long but I never learned your name. To be honest, I don't know any of our guard's names," Toph confessed.

Musaku replied somberly, "It is not required for an employer to know their servant's names."

Musaku wrapped a wide bandage around Sokka's hips. Sokka shifted in his spot as the circulation to the lower half of his body was getting cut off by the tightly wrapped cloth. Musaku continued by wrapping Sokka's arm with a thick bandage as well. In the corner, Toph couldn't help but feel a shadow of guilt. If she had intervened sooner Sokka wouldn't be in this excruciating predicament.

"There. The bleeding has stopped and the bandages should prevent any dirt or bacteria from getting into the cuts, so the likelihood of infection has decreased," Musaku explained, examining his work in satisfaction.

"Thanks, man," Sokka grunted appreciatively, collapsing back on the bed in exhaustion.

Toph punched the guard lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, thanks, man."

The armored man rubbed his shoulder and grinned happily due to the group's acceptance of him. "Anything to help," he told them.

"Get some sleep, Tender Hips," Toph ordered Sokka playfully.

Toph turned to exit the room but heard the clanking of gears near the doorway. Musaku had his head up against the door, his hand gripping a lock which he had secured around the hinges.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked, lifting his head up.

Musaku muttered, his head still shamefully glued to the wooden door, "I'm sorry to do this to you, Lady Toph." Tears began to collect in the corners of his eyes. The grown man turned to the pair with sad eyes that had a hint of frustration. "But I have no choice," he finished, removing the dark green helmet from his head.

Toph repeated Sokka's question, "What's going on?"

The palace guard began to explain, "My wife… she has fallen fatally ill. I'm afraid she doesn't have much time. We've sought medical help for her but… we just don't have enough money to get her the attention she needs." The man swallowed before continuing, "Which is why you two are going to bring my wife to Ba Sing Se where she can receive the medical aide she deserves. A while back, I over heard you say something to one of your friends about how you journeyed across the Serpent's Pass to Ba Sing Se safely. I know for a fact that you can get her there and I'm sorry Lady Toph, but I cannot take no for answer."

Toph poked the man in the chest. "But what if we refuse?"

Musaku answered, a veil of regret clouding his aura, "Then I will tell your parents about everything that happened tonight."

Toph spat, "Ha! That's not so bad. I'm not scared of them."

"But I will see to that you will experience no punishment like any other. You can't even fathom lack of freedom until you undergo what I have planned for you. Your parents know nothing of protection. What they have done to you is child's play. Your punishment will be far worse than any deadly Serpent's Pass," Musaku seethed.

Sokka gradually leaned forward and stated, a bit frightened, "You're insane."

"I'm sorry. I should've told you that my generosity comes with a price. And I will stop at nothing to save my wife's life. Even if it comes to sacrificing my own," Musaku said gravely. "Don't think the damage stops there, as for you Water Tribe boy, you will never be welcomed in this town again or around Lady Toph if you do not do what I ask."

Sokka reminded the man, trying to put some sense into him, "Ba Sing Se has endless amounts of residents, a lot of which probably need medical help just as much as your wife. What makes you think she'll get it there?"

"With a city that big there has to be someone there willing to treat her," Musaku determined, clenching his fist up near his chin.

"Why don't you just bring her there?" Toph suggested in annoyance.

"A man my age could not conquer a dangerous pass infested with serpents. I'm afraid this is a job that only you can complete. Please, Lady Toph, for all of the deeds I have granted your family, please repay me by doing me this small favor," he begged, pressing his palms together and shaking them pleadingly at Toph.

"This isn't exactly a small favor," Sokka commented bluntly.

Toph wagged her finger at him. "Yeah, buddy, you're asking us to do a lot."

Musaku smirked, knowing this next remark would convince Toph into accomplishing this task. "Don't forget, I saved your little friend."

Toph scowled. She realized she could've just metalbended the lock right off the door, but she felt she owed it to this man to hear him out. Seeing the circumstances, the pair reluctantly accepted the mission and would leave the next day. Besides, Sokka couldn't sit idly by while he knew a desperate man sat praying at his dying wife's bedside. He felt he had to do something to save this unfortunate couple from being separated permanently.

Musaku seemed to have pulled a package out of thin air. He held it in front of his chest and glanced down at it, beads of sweat collecting in the wrinkles of his forehead. The package was narrow and rectangular, with rough, brown paper covering the box which held the hidden item inside. Musaku handed it to Sokka and asked the two to deliver this to a merchant named Chang in the city. Musaku assured the pair that if they asked around the market they would find him. His next wish was a mysterious one. He demanded that Toph and Sokka refrain from opening the package. Whatever was in there was none of their business, he told them sternly. Toph turned her head in Sokka's direction and they each flashed each other a look of concern.

"Anything else?" Toph asked, growing weary from her sentinel's demands.

Musaku nodded gratefully. "That'll be all. As long as you complete these tasks I will not reveal any of these events to your parents. I give you my word."

Toph huffed, "Yeah- well, your word better be a good one."

"Meet me at the front gate sunup tomorrow morning. I'll take you to my wife on the east side of town and you two can leave from there. See you then," Musaku said in a whisper, bowing slightly before exiting the room.

Toph murmured sarcastically, "Can't wait."

----

Toph was surprised with herself when she woke up on time. The sun hadn't risen yet so she still had plenty of time to pack some belongings in a small sack. She carelessly stuffed a pair of pajamas and two extra pairs of clothes in the jade fetched a little jewelry box from her closet. She had received this as a gift from some important nobleman when she was a child, but she could care less about it. The only reason she had kept it for all these years is because it hid one of her closest possessions, and it would be one of the last places her parents would look.

The small box was a light lilac color with fancy swirls and designs carved into it. Inside a petite dancer spun and music played when the cover of the box was lifted. Toph bit her bottom lip as she rapidly opened the box, grabbed what was inside, and closed it before the loud music could begin playing. Toph unraveled her fingers from around the object to reveal a black wad of earth. It was the space earth that Sokka had given her years ago. She bended it into a long coil and tied it around her upper arm.

When Toph was finished packing she retrieved Sokka from his room. With a long night's rest he felt rejuvenated and revived from yesterday's previous conditions. He still limped somewhat, the gashes on his left hip making it difficult for him to walk.

While Sokka was still wearing the same blood stained clothes from yesterday, Toph wore a different outfit from her mysterious cloak from the day before. She wore a yellow and green tunic that resembled the one she used to wear as a kid. Under that was a brown, long sleeve shirt with matching brown pants. Her clothes fit her nicely and accented her small frame much more than Sokka was used to. Still, the outfit was loose and comfortable, not losing that side of Toph. Her favorite gold and green headband sat inches behind her hairline. Her hair was also different, rather than her usual bun she pulled it back in a low ponytail.

Just as he promised, Musaku was at the front gate, staring into the sunrise. He looked engrossed in thought. The scene was almost like a painting, the flurry of oranges and yellows stretching across the sky as a gentle breeze tickled the man's cheeks. He stood there, absorbing the tranquility of the morning. The man snapped out of his reverie once he saw Sokka and Toph had arrived. He smiled at the sight of them, a tad worried they would decide not to show up.

Without too many words exchanged, the trio left the Bei Fong estate and headed for the east side of town, where they would meet Musaku's sick wife. Beside one woman shaking a dusty rug outside her front door, the streets were lifeless. When they reached the town's inn, Sokka whispered to Toph that he would catch up with them there. He planned on saying good-bye to Suki before they left and pack up his things for the trip. Toph told him she'd do her best for Musaku not to notice he was gone.

Luckily, when Musaku announced they arrived, Sokka poked his head out of an alley just in time. The warrior rushed to Toph's side, pretending that he had followed them the entire way there. The green bag with gold piping Sokka had bought in the Earth Kingdom long ago was slung around his shoulder. He was also wearing a clean, blue tunic and grey pants underneath.

The street they stood on was cramped with houses, each one sharing walls with each other. Shingles were rotting and peeling off the roofs while paint chipped away from the front doors. Trash littered the streets and a few houses had their windows boarded up.

Musaku fished a ring of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the front door. It opened with an eerie creak and the room that presented itself to them was dark. Sokka was only capable of identifying a few basic shapes, like a couch and fire place in one corner and a kitchen area in the other. Musaku and Toph strutted indoors with no problem. Sokka was left at the door, having a strange feeling settle in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed and stepped into the dark room, slowly closing the wooden door behind him. Musaku guided the two to a back room wordlessly. Toph followed easily but Sokka stumbled over a few things on his way over.

"Take it easy there, Graceful Feet," Toph teased..

Musaku led them to another dim room. A shiver crawled up both Sokka and Toph's spines when they heard wheezing coming from the far right corner. The room was small, a bed where the heavy, struggled breathing was coming from and a nightstand next to it. Other than that there was a single window on the opposite wall which was covered with thick curtains, preventing light from escaping into the room.

Musaku trekked over to the nightstand and lit a candle. The body rolled away from the tiny light source, not used to that amount of light being in the room. Sokka squinted his eyes as he got a better look at the woman. She was pale and sweating. Her chocolate brown hair, cut boy-short, was sticking to her forehead and her teeth clattered from the frequent chills that were sent through her body. Sokka could tell she was probably normally very beautiful. Her skin was almost flawless and her blue eyes looked like they were made of glass.

"Zuna, my sweet, we have some visitors," Musaku whispered.

She coughed shakily, "Who? Why are they here?"

Musaku explained amiably, "Their names are Toph and Sokka. They're going to take you to Ba Sing Se where you'll get medical help."

Zuna grinned dopily, "Such kind folks."

Toph crossed her arms. "You bet your sorry butt we are." Sokka gave her a nudge of admonition in the ribs. "Ow."

"Tell me, children, why are you doing this for an old geezer like me?" the woman asked.

Toph frowned. "We don't have much of a choice."

Sokka quickly added, telling the woman kindly, "But we want to help out in any way we can. We want to make sure you get better. Your husband helped me get better and now we're returning the favor."

"Plus, I could use a nice getaway from my stupid parents," Toph announced.

Musaku placed his hand on top of his wife's. "Do you think you can get up?"

Zuna swallowed the mucus clogging her throat before replying. "I'll try my best."

Zuna leaned forward gradually and eventually obtained the energy to put her pale, wrinkled feet on the floor. Musaku weaved his arm under both of his wife's in order to assist her in getting up. Sokka was amazed that Zuna was able to stand as sturdily as she did. He assumed she'd be tumbling to the floor the first couple of attempts but she proved him wrong by standing securely on the first try. Sure, her knees wobbled and her shoulders shuddered, but she was standing and that was good enough for them. Musaku collected a few items of clothing for his spouse and folded them into a bag. The four walked back out into the main room where he then placed some comestibles in the backpack as well.

"Here, you'll need these." Musaku handed Toph and Sokka each a canteen of water. He then shoved one into his wife's pack. The four gathered outside the couple's front steps where Musaku began to rant about his wife's special needs.

"Make sure she gets plenty of sleep. Don't over work her. If she needs to stop and rest then let her," Musaku turned to Sokka. "Keep a sharp eye on her, boy. Her fever can make her a little dazed and loopy at times. She'll wander off if you don't look after her," the man faced the two of them again, counting off on his fingers. "Be sure she gets lots of fluids and stays hydrated. Don't feed her too much meat or starch since those tend to drain fluids from sick people. She's allergic to most animals' fur so be certain she stays away from them or else she'll get covered in hives."

Zuna assured her husband in a chuckle while placing her hand on his shoulder, "We'll be fine and it's not like I'm a helpless child. I'm just sick, that's all."

Musaku eye's widened. "Just sick? You have a serious disease, if not treated soon, could kill you!"

Zuna rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks for reminding me."

Toph snickered to Sokka, "I'm beginning to like this sick chick."

"Promise me you'll stay out of trouble?" Musaku begged worriedly, embracing his wife tightly.

"No guarantees," she responded lightheartedly.

"Thank you, both, for taking my wife on this treacherous journey. I know you won't fail us," Musaku thanked gratefully.

Toph and Sokka nodded respectfully. Musaku kissed his wife on the cheek before the three of them turned to embark on their adventure.

* * *

**A/N: There it is, the second chapter. Plot is setting in and they're finally heading off to Ba Sing Se where the magic happens! Now that school is officially over I will have more time to write. So, please review! Is my story a mega yes? Mega no? Mega maybe? Should I keep going with it? I won't know unless you tell me.**

**Huge thanks to my beta Leona629 for editing this!**


	3. Plains Village

Plains Village

A day of traveling with Zuna had already passed. The trio of voyagers was damp with sweat allowing dirt to stick to them, or as Toph would call it "a healthy coating of earth". Sokka was not used to traveling with an ill person. Zuna moved at her own pace and he was one that was used to a strict and tight schedule. Toph was already annoyed with Zuna's slow moving as well, but it was something the two would have to adjust to. Toph was hoping this trip wouldn't take that long and in just a couple of weeks their task would be accomplished, but the first day made Toph see the reality of that goal. She would be lucky if they got back sometime before summer's end.

They stumbled across a small farming village in between two enormous mountains in the southern region of the Earth Kingdom. It was known as Plains Village. Ramshackle buildings bordered each of the dirt composed streets and grinning thugs tossed dice in the alleyways. A thin blanket of dust seemed to cover everything in the town, considering it was south-west to the Si Wong desert.

Sokka smiled gladly and rubbed his palms together after spotting a local café. The cramped restaurant was filled with residents painted with perspiration, fanning themselves from the overwhelming heat. At the bar, which was constructed of collapsing and rotting wood, sat a few citizens ordering cool, fruity beverages. Sokka, still limping from the wounds he received two days ago, led Toph and Zuna to a table in the corner.

Sokka riffled through his bag, collecting numerous scrolls under his arms. When he was satisfied with his findings he dropped them all onto the table at once, causing a few to nearly roll off the edge. Sokka found the particular scroll he desired and sprawled it out on the table for everyone else's viewing. He then remembered that doing so wouldn't even affect Toph or Zuna, taking into account that Toph can't read and Zuna had the attention span of a six year old.

"Okay, right now we're here just a couple miles north of Gaoling. The Si Wong desert is north of this town and we could cut through it in order to get to the Serpent's Pass faster," Sokka began to explain.

"But?" Toph interjected.

Sokka exhaled, "But… we could take the longer route and pass through Omashu. It's a safer course but it will take longer to travel all that way and that time difference could be the difference between life and death for Zuna."

"Hey, who knows? Maybe we can find someone in Omashu to heal Zuna instead of going all the way to Ba Sing se," Toph said.

Sokka shrugged. "Maybe."

"Omashu is a lovely city," Zuna commented.

"You've been there?" Sokka raised a brow.

Zuna smiled crookedly. "Of course, I was born there."

"So Omashu it is then?" Toph questioned to confirm.

Sokka rolled up his Earth Kingdom map and closed his eyes intelligently. "Omashu it is," he answered, a touch of fanciness accenting his voice.

After the three slurped down a refreshing beverage, they tipped their waiter and exited the café. Ambling into the middle of the street, Sokka had his head turned looking back at Toph and Zuna. This caused him to accidentally bump into something or someone from the front. Sokka cowered in the large man's shadow. The burly villager emphasized his own height by leaning forward over Sokka. The village dweller had long, jet black hair and the top of his head was bald. He was dressed in Earth Kingdom armor and a steel sledge hammer connected to a thick chain hung from his belt. The man's tan skin tightened threateningly once laying eyes on Sokka.

"Are your eyes attached to your butt, boy?" the man growled, his fists clenched tightly by his hips.

Sokka gulped fretfully. He then proceeded by answering the man's question in a high-pitched, nervous voice. "No, sir, my eyes are definitely on my head." Sokka whirled about to check his own posterior. "No eyes on butt, sir!" Sokka reported, saluting the thug shakily.

He raised his eye brow at Sokka. "Are you mocking me, boy?"

Sokka immediately replied, "No! Not at all! In fact, I was just… going to compliment you on your..." Sokka's eyes directed to the man's weaponry hooked to his waistline. "Your hammer! It's great! Where'd you get it? Over there? Okay, I'm gonna go get one! Bye!" Sokka pointed to a merchant's booth down the road and began to scurry away to avoid getting into a scuffle with this man.

The thug captured Sokka's shirt collar in his hand and yanked him back to where they were nose to nose.

The man glared at Sokka angrily. "Don't you know who I am? I'm Gow and I rule this puny village. So when a scrawny excuse for a man such as yourself touches me then someone has to pay. That someone is gonna be you."

Sokka waved his hands back and forth. "Now, now, is it really necessary for us to fight? I mean can't we settle this some other way? How about a nice, friendly game of Pai Sho?" he proposed.

Gow snapped his fingers. At the signal five other men stepped out of the alleyways and lined up behind Gow. At this point innocent residents of Plains Village began collecting in the streets, wondering what the commotion was all about.

Gow admitted, smirking, "We're not here to fight you. We're here to thank you for your contributions towards the war effort."

Sokka's fearful grin was quickly swapped with a frown of confusion. "But the war is over," he reminded them.

Gow's followers managed to snatch each one of their knapsacks in a blink of an eye.

"Give that back," Toph demanded, planting her feet into a fighting stance. "Or this is going to get ugly."

"You think just because the war is over means there ain't no more soldiers out there fighting to protect our country?" Gow snarled.

"Doesn't give you the right to steal from innocent citizens and travelers," Sokka rebutted.

Toph pointed. "I bet you don't even give that stuff to soldiers. You just keep it all for yourselves."

"Your girlfriend better watch her tongue," one ruffian admonished.

Toph insulted, "You're just a bunch of cheap lowlifes that are too lazy to earn their own living and fetch their own pail of water."

"Are you _looking_ for a fight?" another asked.

Toph crossed her arms confidently and claimed, "Sokka and I could take you all down before you could say 'piece of cake'."

"Well, at least she could," Sokka noted, his shoulders slouched and lips slightly pouted.

"I've had enough of this! C'mon boss, let's whoop 'em!" a skeletal man gripping a spear declared.

"I'm impressed that a tiny, little blind girl has the guts to be sayin' all them slurs," Gow confessed while rubbing his chin.

"I'm impressed that a tiny, little blind girl is more of a man than you are. I could be mistaken. Maybe you're just some lady with a really deep voice," Toph taunted.

Gow bellowed, removing his chain hammer from his belt, "That is the last of it!"

The armored man smashed his mallet into the ground, causing two massive boulders to rocket out of the earth and head right towards Toph and Sokka. While Sokka swiped both to pieces with his sword, Toph kicked the ground making Gow's hammer bounce back and strike him in the forehead. The man collapsed to the ground, moaning in agony on his way down.

The skeletal man charged towards Sokka with his spear. As he tried to jab him, Sokka spun to the side, evading the pathetic assault. He then twisted back and sliced the man's spear in half, leaving him weaponless. Sokka elbowed the man in the ribs and sent him toppling to the ground by flicking him on the head.

Two earthbenders darted towards Toph. One immediately got trapped in a small vortex of quicksand that Toph created. He attempted to squirm free but the compact dirt imprisoned him all the way up to his shoulders. The other threw a couple of boulders at Toph but none of them landed successfully. She dodged each one before sending the man flying through the air by hitting him with a rock from below.

A another man ready to prove himself stepped forward. He was one of the only two left. He removed two jagged daggers from his pants pockets and stomped towards Sokka, belting a high-pitched scream while doing so. The man straightened his arm forward in an attempt to stab Sokka in the throat, but he dodged it easily by taking a step backwards. Sokka kicked the man in the gut causing him to stumble back and drop one of his knives. He countered by jabbing the air repeatedly, hoping one of the numerous thrusts would land. Sokka managed to slash his opponent's weapon out of his hand without making him bleed. He then used the handle of his sword to hit the man in the ribs once again. The man stumbled back and had his rear end get stuck in a barrel sitting against the wall of a building.

There was one man left. He was short and slender with a large, bald head. He had a white scar from his chin down his neck and another across his shoulder. The man appeared to have no ammunition on hand. Toph and Sokka smirked at one another, pleased with their successful execution so far and confident they could easily triumph over this hooligan.

"Surrender now and we won't hurt you," Sokka bargained.

Toph added, "Or you could be stupid, try to beat us- which you won't, and end up flat on your face."

"You know it's fools like you that are responsible for the war in the first place," he muttered.

Sokka raised a brow angrily. "And how is that?"

The man opened and closed his right hand, squeezing it tightly when all his fingers would curl next to each other. His head was bowed. He watched himself do his odd hand gesture. The nameless bandit continued, without looking up from his senseless activity, "Always resorting to violence… always so quick to pin the blame on the innocent."

Toph asked, "What are you talking about?"

Sokka corrected aggravated, "We didn't blame anyone for anything. You're the ones that attacked us and stole our things."

He slowly raised his chin and glared at the two. Zuna stood with the crowd of villagers that had gathered on the side of the streets. She observed the scuffle nervously, not sure how to help, but in the back of her mind knowing she was too weak to do anything anyway.

"All of this could be solved…" he revealed an explosive he had been hiding behind his back, "Right here and right now."

People gasped in fright. Mothers dragged their children away from the street fight to safety. Surprisingly, most residents stuck around, just latching to the person's arm that was next to them. Sokka's eyes shot open in shock and fear.

"What? What is it?" Toph asked clueless.

Sokka answered plainly, "It's a bomb."

"What?! Is he insane?" Toph shouted, waving her arms before her.

"Please, sir," Sokka started. "It doesn't need to go this far. We promise we won't hurt you. Just give us our things back."

"How do I know you're not playing me, boy? I could hand you your things and next thing I know I'm like Geode over there, stuck in quicksand."

"We just want to get our things and leave this town safely," Sokka assured him.

"If you're truly not going to gang up on me, then drop your weapons now," the lean man demanded.

Sokka and Toph both relieved themselves of their fighting stance. Sokka then dropped his sword and boomerang, allowing them to teeter back and forth on the dirt before lying still.

"Don't hurt all these innocent people around us. They don't deserve to get injured." Sokka swallowed before offering, "If you're going to hurt anyone hurt me."

Toph pointed out, "Sokka, you're already in bad enough shape as it is. I'm surprised you fought it out this long, to be honest."

He narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Thanks."

Toph turned back to their adversary. "Don't forget, when you make that bomb go off you're a goner too," she reminded, hoping that would convince the man to drop the explosive.

"Does it matter? I'd be doing this town a favor!" he snapped.

Sokka retorted, "We're not even Fire Nation! We're just here to bring a sick friend to Ba Sing Se."

"How would you be doing this town a favor anyway? Half of it would be destroyed and most of its townspeople would be dead," Zuna stated firmly. Sokka gave her a nod of approval.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" he boomed. His hand holding the small bomb began to shake. "It's time I rid this town of all people who wish to disturb it."

He positioned his thumb on the trigger. He held the bomb above his head, turned his face away, and closed his eyes tightly. Citizens of Plains Village raced towards the nearest secure area. Sokka ran over to Toph and pulled her in closely, preparing themselves for the massive explosion. Toph tugged on Sokka's tunic, thinking this could be the end. Screams echoed in the bare, blue sky but there was no sound of a bang. Sokka heard the faint pitter patter of an item bouncing across to the ground and Toph could feel a round orb roll to the opposite side of the street.

Sokka put his arms back at his side and looked up to see a teenage boy holding a slingshot aimed at the man, about fifteen feet away. The boy reloaded his wooden slingshot and shot the pebble at the man's forehead. He was knocked unconscious and fell to the ground. The remaining spectators cheered.

"That was amazing!" Sokka exclaimed in disbelief.

"How'd he do it?" Toph questioned.

The teenage boy walked over and responded, "I just shot the grenade out of his hand with my slingshot then knocked him unconscious. No biggie."

Sokka shook his hand gratefully. "Thanks, man, for saving us all."

The boy was about average height but very skinny. His dark, shaggy hair swept across his face. The boy's tan skin was covered with limp, flimsy rags and a brown leather belt was tied at his waist. His chin was much defined, with a slight cleft in the center and his front teeth had a wide gap between each other.

"No problem. So where you from?" he asked.

"I'm Sokka and this is Toph and Zuna. We're traveling from Gaoling to Ba Sing Se," Sokka informed him.

"The name's Lee," he introduced. "Come with me. You three look like you could use a decent meal and a bath," Lee proposed.

Toph shrugged to Sokka and willingly followed their new ally. Sokka and Toph picked up their things before marching after Lee. They passed through town with small chatter here and there. Once all the wooden buildings disappeared they arrived at a small pig farm. Dozens of hybrid pigs greeted the group through their fence. Further behind their house and barn was an expansive sunflower field. The place looked pretty rundown, but it was a quaint farm with lots of character.

"Who are they?" a man asked gruffly.

"This is Toph, Sokka, and Zuna. They're travelers making their way through town. They helped stop Gow and his thugs from blowing up the village," Lee explained.

The man smiled welcomingly. He was broad with a gut hanging from his waistline. His graying brown hair was pulled up in a tiny bun and a thick beard covered most of his face.

"I'm Lee's father Gansu. My wife Sela is inside preparing supper. You're welcome to stay if you like, especially after showing those browbeat soldiers what's what," the man proffered politely.

"Thank you so much. Our friend is sick and needs as much rest as possible," Sokka added.

"Of course, we'll make her as comfortable as possible," Gansu guaranteed Sokka. He walked over to Toph and gently wrapped his hand around her arm, ready to lead her to her staying area. Gansu assumed, once seeing a short, blind girl, that she was the ill voyager. Instinctively, Toph pulled away and bended a rock out of the earth that struck Gansu so forcefully he fell to ground and landed painfully on his behind.

"Toph!" Sokka scolded.

Toph warned the man, "I never get sick… and don't touch me."

Gansu stabilized himself back on his feet and rubbed his rear to soothe its ache. "My mistake."

The five of them gathered at the dinner table while Sela began to dish out stew into each of their bowls. Sokka started to devour the meal without hesitation. Sela, a petite woman with brown hair and bold, brown eyes, poured a share for herself before sitting down with the rest of her family and guests.

"So where are you heading to?" Sela asked.

Sokka answered, "We're journeying to Ba Sing Se so Zuna can get some medical help. We're planning on stopping at Omashu on the way, hoping we might get the treatment she needs there instead."

Zuna commented, "Omashu is a lovely place."

"We wouldn't know. We're always here running our farm," Gansu grumbled.

"So what's wrong with her?" Lee asked nosily.

Toph planted her chin on her palm. "She's got a severe fever and she's insane or something."

"I would assume that comes with the fever," said Sela.

After Sokka garbled down his stew, he remarked, "So Lee, I don't think I've ever seen anyone carry around a slingshot. That's a very interesting weapon of choice."

Toph ridiculed, "You're the one that carries around a boomerang."

Sokka hugged his boomerang close to his chest. "Hey! Don't insult the boomerang!"

Lee explained, a touch of sadness nestled in his voice, "My brother and I used to slingshot rocks at birds when we were little. Eventually I got really good at it so I started carrying one around with me. It's come in handy a couple times."

"Nothing makes memories quiet like animal abuse," Toph ridiculed in a mumble.

"Is your brother around?" Sokka asked.

Lee replied sorrowfully, the whole family suddenly shadowed with grief, "No. He died years ago in the war."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sokka sympathized.

Sela sighed, "Don't be. It's not your fault."

Everyone finished eating and Toph was the first to use the bathhouse. Lee's family provided them with towels and soap and also presented them with some more food to bring with them on their travels. When Sokka assumed Toph would be about done with her bath he went to get Zuna from her room so she could go next. He opened the door to see the brown haired woman slumbering soundly. Sokka smiled while closing the door. He then trekked out to the bathhouse in the pitch dark, tripping over numerous rocks and stubbing his toe on an unidentifiable object. When Sokka accidentally let out a little squeal of pain the pigs began oinking like a domino effect. Sokka pressed his pointer finger up to his lips and hushed the pink mammals.

He continued towards the bathhouse and when he arrived at the small building he reached for the doorknob. Suddenly, it twisted, making Sokka jump back in surprise. Toph kicked the door open with her night gown on and her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Were you just gonna walk in on me?"

Sokka denied, his face coloring red, "No!" Sokka coughed to renew his calm presence. "No."

Toph grinned. "I can feel your heart racing, Ponytail."

Sokka's voice reached the peak of high-pitched embarrassment. "Ahem, No! Uh, I was not trying to uh catch a peek of anything! Um, I didn't know you were in there and… I… uh- I'M MARRIED!"

Toph just shook her head and laughed. "Relax, meathead, I was just joking."

Sokka scratched the back of his neck and blushed. He chuckled uncomfortably, "Oh, good… uh- me… too."

Toph began walking back to the house. She called to Sokka, "Save them hormones for tomorrow night!"

"What?!"

Toph laughed again, "Sokka, I was just kidding! Sheesh."

Sokka went into the bathhouse and slammed the door to shelter himself from further embarrassment. Toph wheeled around and started ambling towards Lee's house once again, wondering how Suki could ever let him go.

----

Meanwhile, Poppy wandered the winding halls of her estate. Her delicate, wrinkled hand was up by her lip and the aging woman looked distressed. With every corner she turned, she failed to find her daughter, and the more concerned she grew. Musaku paced the south hall and when Poppy spotted him in the distance she rushed over to him, her flowing, silk dress trailing behind her.

"You look worried, Lady Poppy," Musaku observed, her expression reflecting onto his. "What's the matter?"

"I know she does it all the time and I should be used to it by now… but Toph has runaway again," she reported, still checking her surroundings for her missing daughter.

Musaku looked unfazed but quickly realized this was supposed to be news to him. The man hopped into action in order to recover from his suspicious late reaction.

"Don't fret, Mrs. Bei Fong. I'll have some fellow guards search for your daughter right away," Musaku assured her falsely. He began marching down the hallway, pretending to go maintain his promise.

Poppy stopped him. "And, Musaku."

Musaku asked without turning back around, "Yes?"

"Don't tell Lao about her missing just yet… I know it's been two days and he'll start to wonder, but I don't want him to do anything drastic," Poppy explained.

"Of course."

The pale skinned woman tugged on the necklace dangling around her neck. "Toph is still a teenager and she's just going through some rebellious phase. I know we're a little hard on her… but it's only because we love her and want to protect her from that bad world out there."

Musaku turned and placed his hands on the woman's shoulders. "Toph knows that. But like you said she's just going through some changes. Growing up does that."

"Did she say anything to you? Did you happen to over hear anything about her running away?" Poppy interrogated anxiously.

Musaku paused. He hated lying to her, but in this case he had no choice. He told Toph and Sokka he'd cover for them, and as long as they were maintaining their end of the deal he'd maintain his.

"Well?"

He exhaled, "I'm sorry. I have not."

Poppy's shoulders slouched in disappointment. She glanced out the window and wondered where her daughter could possibly be.

* * *

**A/N: ****Thanks to all of the people that have reviewed so far! It means so much and brightens my day!**

**Huge thanks to my fantastic beta Leona629!**


	4. Omashu

**A/N: I know, I know. It's been like three months since I last updated. But do not fret! I am not giving up on this story!**

**Over the course of this story I have made a lot of changes and here's another one: I have decided to change Toph and Sokka's ages from nineteen and twenty-two to sixteen and nineteen. I think I'm better writing about teenagers considering I am one.**

**Anyway, I thought I'd give a quick recap since I always forget what happened last time when a fic I read is updated. Toph and Sokka agreed to take Zuna to Ba Sing Se where she'd get medical help. Musaku also gave them a package to deliver to a guy named Chang (used to be named Meher). He demanded that they not open it. Now, Sokka is leading Toph and Zuna to Omashu, hoping they can get Zuna medical attention there instead of having to go all the way to Ba Sing Se. Because it's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se! But the girls in the city they look soooo pretty!~**

***Ahem* Sorry for that. I couldn't help it. Anyway, without further ado: Chapter Four!**

* * *

Glittering stars surrounded the ever expanding, ivory moon. The night sky was cloudless and still. Sokka had led Toph and Zuna into a dense forest where they would set up camp for the night. Toph constructed the three a sizeable rock tent while Sokka gathered the firewood. Zuna proved herself helpful by fetching water from a nearby stream.

Once the fire was started Sokka heated the meals that Lee's family provided. After spooning a mouthful of squash into his mouth, Sokka reached for the map of the Earth Kingdom in his bag. His fingertips brushed a rough surface. He fished the unidentified object out of his rucksack to discover it was the mysterious package Musaku had given them to deliver.

"What do you think is inside this thing?" Sokka asked, twirling his chopsticks as he inspected the brown box.

Toph swallowed her food before asking, "What thing?"

"This package Musaku gave us. I wonder what's so important in here that we can't know about it," Sokka pondered.

Toph said, "Maybe it's not even important. It could be some worthless piece of junk."

Sokka raised a brow. He gripped the package with both hands. "In that case, wouldn't he just tell us what's inside?"

Toph admitted, "It _was_ kind of weird how he basically commanded we not open it. What was up with that?"

"It could be work related," said Zuna.

"I probably would've heard something about it considering he works for my family," Toph pointed out.

Sokka shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. It's probably just something valuable that belongs to this Chang guy."

"Chang? Who's Chang?" Zuna questioned, clueless.

"Your hubby's partner in crime," Toph answered.

"He's the guy your husband wants us to give the package to," Sokka informed her.

Toph crossed her legs and wrapped her fingers around her dirt-coated feet. "Hey, Sokka, what happens if we find a doctor for Zuna in Omashu? How are we gonna get it to this Chang guy then?"

"Omashu has the best mailing system in the world. We'll get it to him somehow."

Zuna hacked violently and quaked. She summoned the strength to add, "I find it hard to believe that my husband wouldn't even tell me what's in the box. We've always had a very honest relationship."

"It's none of our business. Let's just try not to think about it." Sokka yawned as he collapsed backwards.

Zuna shivered, clutching the blanket around her. "I bet it's something ridiculous like a comb," she coughed.

"Or maybe it's a murder weapon," Toph kidded.

Toph and Sokka cocked their heads back and shared a short laugh, but stopped abruptly. Looks of panic replaced their smiles. Sokka picked up the package, held it near his ear, and shook it. The package was rather light and he could feel a small object bounce around as he shook it. It was much too light to be a crazy, killer weapon. Still, Sokka couldn't help but feel uneasy about this mysterious object. His stomach twisted in knots from the puzzling situation.

Sokka hesitated to ask, "You don't think Musaku would try to kill us… do you?"

Zuna asked, "Why would my husband try to kill the two people that are saving his wife? Such kind people. So nice. So very kind."

"Maybe he's trying to kill you too." Toph didn't realize the harm in saying that.

Sokka nudged her warningly in the side. "Toph, knock it off. Musaku wouldn't do that."

Zuna clutched her short, brown hair. "Or maybe he would! You're probably right!" she shouted in a panic.

Zuna scrambled to her feet, her stance feeble and unsteady. She raced over to Sokka and snatched the package from his hands. The crazed woman staggered her feet, preparing to launch the package far into the forest. However, Toph managed to stop her in time by grabbing her wrist. She yanked Zuna towards the ground, bringing the woman to her knees. Toph seized the package from Zuna.

"Get a hold of yourself, woman!" Toph exclaimed.

Zuna pouted, ashamed of her overreaction. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"I think we're all just tired from the long day of traveling," Sokka said as he stood up. "Let's get some rest." He turned towards the rock tent and muttered to himself, "Wow, I'm turning into Katara."

"Someone has to be the mom of the group," Toph told him. She pointed her thumb at Zuna and then at herself. "And she's too crazy and I'm too abrasive. You're the only one here with _some_ compassion and heart."

Sokka looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. "Thanks, Toph. In your own twisted and insulting way, I think you're actually being nice."

She scoffed. "Yeah, well… don't get used to it!"

----

Three weary travelers scaled the final hill before setting eyes on the Earth Kingdom city, Omashu. The second largest city in the nation. Omashu had tiers of streets winding around three gigantic mountains. At the top of the tallest one was King Bumi's palace. The palace overlooked the entire metropolis and the gorge that Omashu was perched in. The sight was breathtaking. The city was renewed to its original state before the ruthless Fire Nation had conquered it.

A narrow, rock-strewn trail led to the front gate that could only be opened with earthbending. Much of Omashu operated on earthbending, such as their mailing system. The voyagers could hear the friction of carts sliding through the winding chutes that led to various parts of the city.

"Hasn't changed much since I was last here," Zuna observed as they grew closer towards the front gate.

Sokka replied, "Ignoring the fact that the Fire Nation was in complete control of it just four years ago."

Toph shrugged. "Of course."

Two guards wearing earth-toned armor stood on either side of the gate. Each one had a stern, resolute look on his meaty face. Both men were broad and tall, intimidating Sokka considerably but not phasing Toph the slightest. Zuna was too busy staring down the steep cliff as if she were in a trance. Sokka dragged her away from the hazardous edge and walked towards the entrance of the city.

"Hello, sirs," Sokka greeted with a friendly wave. "Nice day, isn't it? We'll just be heading inside-"

Sokka attempted to walk past the two, but the one on the left blocked his entry. "No foreigners allowed in," the guard said.

"We're not foreigners, we're travelers," Sokka corrected.

The man replied, without missing a beat, "Same thing."

"But you have to let us in." Sokka pointed to Zuna. "She's sick and we're trying to get her some help."

The second guard sympathized, "Oh, no! How awful! Go ahead then."

Sokka squealed in delight. "Really?!"

"No."

Sokka's toothy smile was quickly swapped with a frown.

One of the two guards watched Zuna cough and shake violently. "Is she your mother?"

Sokka smiled at the opportunity at hand. He raced over and embraced the sickly woman tightly. "Yes! Yes she is!"

"She doesn't look too well. A good son would take care of his mother," the guard said.

"I'm trying be a good son and get her some medical help in the city, but two grumpy guards won't let us through." Sokka rolled his eyes towards the two men.

"Well, I'm sorry, but there's a Peace Council being held here in three days. We have strict orders from the council not to let any sickly…" the guard's eyes landed on Sokka, "or untrustworthy travelers past the gateway."

The other guard added, "The city can't risk an infestation of disease before some of the most important figureheads of the nation gather here."

"She's not even contagious," Sokka assured them, waving his arms towards the feverish woman.

The second one raised a brow. "How do you know?"

Sokka stopped. He thought for a moment and uttered, "Uh… because I'm a doctor?"

The guards stared at him in disbelief.

"But there's another reason why we need to get in the city!" Sokka insisted.

"And what's that?"

Sokka tapped his chin, pondering an outrageous scenario that he could possibly convince the guards with. He pointed to the sky in delight once thinking of, what to him, seemed like the perfect plan.

Sokka stroked Toph's head and dry sobbed dramatically, "You see, you have to let us in because my little sister is blind. Last time we were here, she accidentally left her favorite dolly in our vacation home and she is just so lost without it. It's the only thing she has close to a friend." Sokka zipped over to the guard on the right. Tugging on his shirt, he begged, "Please, please, you just have to let us in! Do you want to be the cause of why this little girl is so depressed? Her grandmother gave her that doll! You're gonna take the last memory she has of her grandmother away from her?!"

The sentry on the right growled, "We don't care about your sister's doll. What's more important is keeping the city safe. We do that by keeping you three troublemakers out of it."

The guard on the left flashed Toph an apologetic look. "Seems like you won't be getting your dolly." Toph just exhaled heavily.

Sokka turned away from the two men, giving his fellow travelers a look of defeat. As the three tuckered out voyagers spun around to depart Omashu, Sokka abruptly charged towards the two guards, bellowing nonsense while doing so. Sokka twirled his arms frantically in the air as an effort to help him break past the two guards and gain access to the city. Unfortunately, it did not take much to stop him. The right guard blocked Sokka simply by pressing his palm to Sokka's forehead. Sokka grunted in aggravation as he tried pushing through the man's extended arm but he was unsuccessful. Sokka swung at the guard in an effort to punch him but those attacks were futile as well.

Sokka sulked back, pretending to admit defeat. However, the swordsman still had some determination left in him. He sprinted back and leapt horizontally through the air, managing to dive beyond the two guards.

"Ha-ha, yes!" Sokka shouted victoriously, after landing on his stomach.

Sokka was going to start crawling away but the Earth Kingdom men grabbed his ankles and swung him back towards Toph and Zuna. Sokka skidded along the ground and barreled into the women's feet. He scrambled to his feet and withdrew his sword. He charged at the men one last time, holding his weapon above his head. Sokka sliced his sword downward, not to harm the men but distract them so he could dart past, but the guard on the right stopped the flat side of the sword in its tracks. He used the hilt to prod Sokka. Sokka stumbled back and tried one last time. This time around, the left sentry kicked Sokka's feet out from under him.

Toph helped Sokka off the ground and sighed. "It's alright, Snoozles. Looks like we have to go all the way to Ba Sing Se, after all."

Sokka grumbled as they meandered back down the rocky, narrow path. "Joy."

The first guard shouted to them, "Good luck! Travel safely!"

The second elbowed his partner and seethed, "Shut up."

* * *

**A/N: The chapter is short, I know, but I had some trouble writing this one. I rewrote it about four times and wasn't even slightly satisfied with any of them. I tried making it longer by adding subplots but they were too irrelevant. Anyway, this'll be the shortest chapter you'll see throughout the entire fanfic.**

**I'd like to take the time give an ****ENORMOUS**** thank you to my two betas PetertheChameleon and Leona629! They're pretty much amazing.**

**Anyway, review and stuff! I always like stuff.**


	5. The Hami Tribe

The Hami Tribe

Days of cutting through the tip of the Si Wong Desert nearly killed Toph, Sokka, and Zuna. Their food supply from Lee's family was completely gone. Each of their three canteens ran dry. Toph and Sokka had to sacrifice most of their water for Zuna. Each of them was painted in a layer of perspiration. Everyday a new coating of sweat would settle in the fibers of their clothes. Toph lagged behind with Zuna ambling far behind her. Sokka did his best to lead the three of them to Ba Sing Se. The map of the Earth Kingdom was in his hands almost every minute of the day and with each step he took he wished they had a flying bison.

They would've been able to cross the northern region of desert in a matter of days. However, Zuna's condition worsened as the heat intensified. Everyday that passed, she grew weaker, slowing the group down.

"Sokka, can we take another break?" Zuna panted. She hid herself from the intense sun with a mauve blanket.

Sokka didn't look up from his map. "I know it's hard but we have to keep moving. The more breaks we take the longer it'll take to get out of here."

"How much longer?" Toph groaned.

Sokka analyzed his map of the Earth Kingdom. "My guess would be two more days. If we don't take anymore breaks and keep a steady pace we could probably get out of here by tomorrow," Sokka estimated.

Toph swung her arm with sudden motivation. "Then let's get going!"

Toph took a step towards their destination, almost bumping into Sokka. "Oh, gross!" Sokka grunted in disgust. "You smell worse than I do!"

"If I smelled any worse than you do we'd all be dead," Toph fired back.

Sokka eyed both directions before sneakily sniffing his right armpit. He jumped back and waved his hand in front of his face. "Wow, you're right! I do stink!"

Toph chuckled softly and punched Sokka in the shoulder, accidentally knocking him to the ground. He landed with a thud and laughed heartily. Toph couldn't help but laugh as well. Not until he cleared the tears from his eyes did he realize he was covered in sand. The dirt stuck to his sweaty body. Sokka saw that he was almost completely covered in sand, so his concern with staying relatively clean was lacking at the moment. Soon Sokka was rolling on the ground, blanketing himself with dirt. Toph joined him on the desert floor and did the same. The two laughed endlessly as Zuna looked in a different direction, lost in her own world.

After minutes of rolling on the hot sand, the couple grew tired. They gasped for air, lying on their backs while trying to recover from laughing so hard. Toph and Sokka weren't sure why they thought the event was so humorous, but it helped lighten their mood and release some of the stress from their travels. The miserable voyage north lacked laughter between the two of them. This was something that had been waiting to come out for days.

Sokka turned on his side and rested his head on his arm. He stared at Toph who was still sprawled out on her back. He couldn't help but smile, seeing her covered in dirt just as he was. They still didn't care. Suddenly, all the worries of getting to Ba Sing Se had vanished from Sokka's mind. He was just glad to be here with Toph, even if they were out in the middle of the desert.

Meanwhile, Toph was thinking about her partner in crime as well. Funny, Musaku's threat to tell her parents everything didn't even scare her. Deep down, she only took on this mission because she knew it meant spending more time with a certain Water Tribe warrior.

Sokka brought himself to his feet and offered Toph his hand. "C'mon, we better get moving."

Toph, not able to see the gesture, kicked herself off the ground with some earthbending and followed him.

The gang didn't take another break until the sun was down. A half full moon shimmered faintly. Stars were scattered across the night sky as if someone had sprinkled them there carelessly. The three collapsed back on the cooling dirt in sheer exhaustion. Sokka and Toph were ready to sink into a relaxing slumber, but they were disturbed by violent coughing coming from Zuna. The woman shivered so intensely Toph could sense her shuddering through the shifty sand. Sokka opened one eye to see Zuna roll on her side and cough up blood. Sokka, pushing his lethargy to the back of his mind, rushed to Zuna's side. He helped her lean forward as she caught her breath.

"This looks bad," Sokka reported to Toph as she crawled over to them.

Zuna whimpered, her voice trembling. "My insides hurt."

"We have to get her to a doctor right away," Sokka determined.

Toph said, "Well, that's obvious."

Sokka looked at the sand absorbing the flecks of blood Zuna just spat out moments ago. "I'm gonna assume coughing up blood is a bad thing."

"I feel dizzy," Zuna panted.

"Alright, Zuna, we're gonna get you to a doctor as soon as we can," Sokka informed her. Sokka hooked his arm underneath Zuna and picked her off the ground. "It's best we walk at night when it's cool. If we travel fast we might be able to get out of here before tomorrow afternoon, just before the heat gets the worst."

As the group began to make their way across the desert once again, Zuna said gratefully, "Thank you, kids… for doing this all for me."

"Our pleasure," Sokka muttered. He wasn't in the best physical state either. Sokka was still wounded from his street fight in Gaoling. Not to mention all the damage from crossing the desert he took as well. "I just hope we can pull through with all of this."

Zuna put her last bit of energy into smiling. "I have faith in you kids," she said. Then, she fainted.

Sokka dangled her arms over his shoulders and grabbed her thighs. He would have to carry her on his back. Whenever he needed a rest Toph would lie her on a platform-like bed and earthbend her across the desert. When Toph grew tired from earthbending it would be Sokka's turn to carry her once again. The two continued this process until sunrise arrived. As the first rays of sunlight stretched over the flat horizon, Zuna awoke. Sokka began to worry that Zuna would die before they ever reached Ba Sing Se. However, things started looking up when she began walking on her own again, although she trailed Sokka and Toph slowly.

"You're never gonna believe this," Toph said hours later.

Sokka humored her, asking wearily, "What?"

"There's a village not too far ahead. It's small but there are a lot of people."

Sokka dropped to his knees and grabbed two fistfuls of sand. He shook his sand filled hands in the air, letting the tiny grains fall from the cracks in between his fingers. "Thank you, universe!" he cried.

The village was a sandbender village. Dilapidated huts and tents were cramped in the small town which was encircled by a towering, rotting fence. A dozen or so sand-sailors were parked outside the front gate. The three stumbled into town and each bandage-covered resident glared at them. A few snarled at the strangers, revealing their decaying teeth. Each man wore the familiar, tan, loose garments while the few women in the small community sported uncomfortable amounts clothing, each part of their body other than their eyes being covered.

One particular woman caught Sokka's attention. She held a baby boy in her arms and gazed hopelessly into his eyes. Sokka couldn't bear seeing the sadness this woman had, so he diverted his focus to the ground.

Everyone was quiet. They simply watched the three unknown faces stroll tiredly through the small village. Eventually, a bald man with a bold jaw line stepped forward.

"What brings you to our village?" he pressed.

Sokka replied, scanning the expressions of all the men around him, "Not used to seeing tourists around here, I assume?"

"You either have to be crazy or desperate to visit a sandbender village. Travelers aren't that welcome around here. So, which are you?"

"Our friend is deathly ill and needs medical attention right away," Sokka informed him.

The man grinned with his head slightly bowed. "So you're desperate."

Another man stepped out from the shadows. "There's not much to offer here. So I would just leave this town and forget you ever came."

Toph waved the man off. "Calm down, sandypants. We're not here to cause any trouble. We just want to help our friend."

"Crossing the desert with a blind girl and a sick woman? You're a courageous man. Bravery is a highly respectable attribute," the first man said. He turned to his friend and proposed, "Xiang, maybe we should give this young man the light of day." Xiang nodded to the man. "Bring this woman to the village healer."

"Thank you, sir," Sokka expressed gratitude as he and Toph bowed.

The sandbender led Zuna to a hut on the opposite side of town. When Toph and Sokka saw Zuna safely enter the hut they turned back towards the bald headed man.

"It's not everyday we get visitors. Normally my people beat the life out of any unfamiliar face that passes through our tribe but you two… there's something different about you two." The pair smiled at each other proudly. "My name is Daso and I am the leader of this tribe. Our tribe, the Hami tribe, is the northern most village out of all the sandbender villages in the Si Wong Desert. I'd like to inform you that you are not far from Full Moon Bay. Another day or two and you three could be well out of the desert."

"We've been following this map the entire way so I had a feeling we were close," Sokka responded.

"You are obviously not sandbenders. Where do you hail from?" Daso asked, guiding the two of them to a sitting area in the shade.

Sokka gladly rested his feet on the wooden ottoman in front of his chair. "I'm from the Southern Water Tribe but a year ago I moved to Kyoshi Island with my wife."

When Toph didn't answer everyone looked at her, waiting for her reply. She quickly realized the situation and said, "I've lived in Gaoling all my life."

"That's an interesting band you have on your arm," Daso commented, pointing to the ring of space earth coiled around Toph's arm.

Toph placed two fingers gently on the bracelet. "Oh, this? He actually gave this to me a while back." Toph gestured towards Sokka. Sokka beamed and nodded vigorously.

Daso's curiosity increased. He rested his chin on his palm. "What exactly is it made out of?"

Toph unhooked the bracelet from her arm and molded it into a ball. "It's made of space earth."

Daso raised a brow at her. "Space earth?"

Sokka clarified, "A meteorite."

After the word "meteorite" left Sokka's lips, Daso flashed a suspicious look at one of his tribesmen. Sokka spotted a woman pushing a rickety cart towards them which had tons of food piled on top of it. Drool trickled down Sokka's chin as he attacked the cart mounded with ripe fruits and loaves of bread. Toph sprang from her seat and crammed every bit of edible substance in her mouth as well. Daso looked at the two in slight repulsion as they gladly stuffed their faces.

"Oh my goodness, Toph, you have to try this," Sokka told her, holding a fruit-filled pastry in front of her. The girl nearly took off his hand when biting down on the delectable treat.

Only a couple minutes passed and already the cart of food was almost bare. The two bloated travelers collapsed back into their chairs, holding half eaten, oozing rations in their hands. They contemplated whether they should attempt to finish their handfuls or not. Sokka burped loudly and quickly covered the poor etiquette with his hand.

He flushed. "Whoops, pardon me."

Toph burped louder than he did and smiled. "That's how it's done."

Sokka smirked and challenged the girl by burping even louder and longer. Toph accepted the challenge, stood up, and nearly knocked herself back into her chair by belching forcefully. Sokka stood up, swung his hips, and released a long, high-pitched burp. Toph counteracted by unleashing what first sounded like a flying bison hiccupping, but soon developed into a thunderous belch. Sokka couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Toph's concentrated face. Pretty soon, both of them were holding their aching ribs. They stopped once realizing the entire tribe was quiet and staring at them in disgust.

"Amazing how you've been trapped in the desert for days but you both manage to share a good laugh. My people could learn a lot from your way of life. Sometimes things are a little tense around here," Daso told them, eyeing the villagers around them. "Sorry for all the spectators. Normally people in this town mind their own business. But for some reason they seem mesmerized by the two of you. I guess the travelers we usually get always want something from us… besides food anyway."

"We're just high-spirited travelers." Sokka smiled. "If we're gonna do something as stupid as crossing the desert we're gonna get some fun out of it."

Moments later, Xiang returned with Zuna who already appeared to be healthier. Her skin was less pale, she was shivering less, and her cough wasn't nearly as bad. Zuna even grinned pleasantly once standing in front of her fellow explorers again.

Sokka examined Zuna, impressed. "You're looking better."

"I feel better," she told him.

Sokka and Toph brought themselves to their feet. "Thank you for your hospitality. We couldn't thank you enough." Sokka placed his fingers to his opposite fist and bowed. Toph imitated the gesture. "And thank your town healer for helping Zuna."

Daso's friendly smile turned into a toothy, devilish smirk. "Our pleasure."

Sokka held out his hand to Daso, which had a couple of coins in it. "Here. It's the least we could do since you basically saved our lives."

Daso waved his hands in refusal. "Not necessary."

Sokka shrugged, thanked the man one last time, and turned to leave. As they turned to exit the village, two sandbenders blocked their path.

"I'm afraid you won't be leaving without a price after all…" a voice snickered. Sokka was stunned to discover it was Daso who had said it. "You see, you have something we want."

Toph sighed in annoyance. "Of course we do."

An onlooker declared, "That space rock!"

Toph clutched her armlet protectively. "Why do you want this?"

"A bracelet made of meteorite could fetch a high price at the black market," Daso explained deviously.

Sokka groaned in aggravation, "Ugh, can we go through one day without being attacked?"

Daso raised his eye brows, his smirk still plastered across his face. "Apparently not." Daso drew his knuckles towards his chest then swiftly pushed them forward, creating a title wave of sand that barreled the three of them over.

Toph rocked back on her shoulders and kicked her feet out. Using that little momentum she had, she stood back up again. She trapped oncoming men in small pits of quicksand so she could concentrate on Daso. Meanwhile, Sokka was helping Zuna to her feet.

"You stay over there where you won't get hurt," Sokka instructed, shoving Zuna towards the wall of a building.

Sokka turned to four sandbenders and removed his sword from its sheath. Each man sent a cylinder of compact sand towards him but he was able to evade each one. When their plan failed, each of the four men worked together and constricted Sokka in a thick, tornado-like structure of sand.

"Toph!" he cried. "Toph, help!"

Toph turned her head towards Sokka's voice. Daso used the opportunity to knock Toph to her feet. She dug her fingers into the ground, causing it to crack all the way until it reached Daso. A massive peg of sand shot out of the ground and sent the man soaring through the air. A few villagers went to make sure their leader was okay while other sandbenders marched onto the streets to engage in combat.

Toph knocked out the four sandbenders that Sokka was up against with one swing of her left arm. The contracting bundle of sand wrapped around Sokka disappeared and he was freed.

"Thanks." Sokka nodded appreciatively before participating in the scuffle once again.

Sokka beat eight more men by knocking them unconscious with the end of his sword. Toph easily buried another twenty in the sandy turf. The two were about to battle against more sandbenders, but Sokka spotted the innocent woman from before. They locked glances and he could just see the fear in her glossy, emerald eyes. She clutched her son tightly, wishing that these awful strangers that were attacking their tribesmen would go away. An image of Sokka's father, holding him the same terrified way when the Fire Nation was invading their tribe, flashed in his head. Suddenly, he stopped. Sokka placed his sword back in its sheath. Two sandbenders were charging right at him. Before they had the chance to hit him, Toph tripped them both with her sandbending.

"What are you doing, Meathead?" Toph asked a bit angered.

Without saying a word, Sokka grabbed Toph and Zuna's hands and dragged the two women out of village, managing to avoid every sandbender assault that was thrown at them.

They had to be a hundred yards away from the tribe by the time they stopped running. Oddly enough, none of the sandbenders chased after them.

Toph jerked her hand from Sokka's grip and yelled, "What is your problem?!"

He ignored Toph's outburst and asked quietly, "Did you see that woman?"

Toph replied heatedly, "Hmmm, considering I can't see anyone? No."

The swordsman apologized, "Sorry, Toph, but being there for any longer just didn't feel right. There was no point in fighting those guys any further. We got away safely-"

"Yeah, barely," Toph huffed.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright?" Sokka grimaced. "Let's get going."

The three began venturing across the desert again in silence.

**A/N: Not a fan of this chapter. I don't like the chapter before this one either. But I like the rest of them, especially next chapter. I hope you'll feel the same :]**

**Another colossal thank you to my indescribably awesome beta PetertheChameleon!**


	6. The Serpent's Pass

"My daughter has been missing for two weeks and you mindless buffoons haven't gone out to search for her yet?!" Lao growled, his voice becoming more audible with each word that passed between his lips.

Lao and Poppy had gathered all their palace guards in their fanciest dining room in the mansion. The palace guards stood at the foot of the table on the opposite side of the room. While some maintained a somber expression, others weren't so keen on hiding their nervousness. The many sentries that were under the Bei Fongs' employ stood in four straight rows. Those in the back were lucky they didn't have to see Lao's look of disappointment and ire. Musaku stood in the front row, not letting Lao's glares affect him. Lao sat at the end of the elongated, glass table. He stretched his arms out to both sides, gripping the edge. His knuckles colored white from squeezing so hard. Poppy sat to his immediate right. She folded her hands on top of the table. Even Poppy was afraid to look the infuriated Lao in the eyes.

A guard trembled cowardly. He gulped before answering for the group of sentinels, "Well, sir, we have no idea where she is."

"There are enough of you to disperse throughout the region and look for her. I shouldn't have to tell you to do something this simple." Lao pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Should any of us stay here with you and the lady, sir?" one asked.

Another added, "Or shall we all go track down Toph?"

"Everyone except Musaku go," Lao said. He turned to the guard. "Musaku, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on my family at all times."

Musaku nodded. "Of course, sir."

Poppy and Musaku exchanged glances.

Lao stood from his chair and bowed at his sentinels. "Dismissed."

Immediately, the palace guards exited the dining room and headed for the courtyard. When the guards gathered in the courtyard, they began to tease Musaku about his assignment.

"Seems someone has a pretty big mission on their hands," one joked.

A second said sarcastically, "Patrolling the mansion is so much more dangerous than journeying half across the globe."

A third taunted, "Try not to get hurt looking after Mommy and Daddy."

Musaku snapped, "It's not like I asked for this, okay?! You men should be honored that the Bei Fongs believe in you and respect you enough to go find Lady Toph. While you're out there looking for her, I have to stay here and pretend I don't know where she is!"

A fellow guard paused and looked at him curiously. "What are you saying?"

The man next to him raised a brow. "Are you saying you know where she is?"

Musaku winced, imagining him punching himself in the gut. That was what he wanted to do at that moment. He could not believe he just let that slip. He bit his tongue almost as hard as he could as his punishment for the time being.

"That's not what I said," Musaku replied, beads of sweat collecting at his temples.

"Well, that's what it sounded like you said."

"Or at least what you meant."

A fellow guard clutched Musaku's neck and seethed, "You better not be lying to us, buddy. Some of these men might die out there looking for little 'Miss Princess.' If you tell us where she is right now, then we all might make it back safely."

Another sentry came up from behind and held a knife across his chest. "Tell us now and you won't have to worry about this dagger going inside you."

Musaku would've liked to reply but he was struggling to breathe. The longer it took Musaku to answer the tighter his grip around his neck got. Musaku's face colored red. He clawed at his co-worker's hands that were constricting his throat. The strangler was growing impatient. The man gritted his teeth as he slammed Musaku up against the wall of the mansion. Musaku gasped for air. His eyes practically shot out of their sockets when he realized he was no longer touching the ground.

"Tell us, Musaku!" the man demanded.

Musaku was finally able to wheeze, "Can't breathe."

"Don't kill him! Then we'll never know!" a guard in the back shouted.

He threw him to the ground. Musaku was never so happy to breathe in his life. The sudden abundance of oxygen filling his lungs was too much. Musaku coughed violently and happened to glimpse up to see a foot heading towards him. He would've dodged the strike but he was too weak from being nearly suffocated. The strangler's foot dug into Musaku's ribs.

"Tell us where the girl is!"

Musaku collapsed to his stomach. He would've clutched his ribs which now felt bruised but he was still focused on catching his breath. Thanks to this new injury, his main objective now became a painful one. Musaku spotted another kick heading his way through his tear-filled eyes.

"Stop." A guard stepped out of the pack and caught the man's foot.

"What are you doing?!" The rogue looked over his shoulder with a piercing glare.

"Breaking the man into two isn't gonna get the information out of him, Ling."

"What do you know? Step back in line, fool," Ling, the malicious guard, commanded.

The other guards restricted the man and held a knife to his neck so he would think twice about stepping out of line again. He gazed down at Musaku and shrugged. "I tried."

Musaku brought himself to his hands and knees. Ling squatted and smiled at Musaku. "Listen, Musaku, you're a good guy. We know you're probably just trying to protect Toph or whatever womanly promise you have between the two of you. But why don't you do yourself a favor and tell us where she's going? You'll be saving yourself from any further beatings."

Musaku spat on Ling's boot. "Never."

The man rolled his eyes. He lifted Musaku by the collar and pressed his knife to his neck. Musaku cringed as a small amount of blood surfaced from the sliver of penetrated skin.

"I'll ask one more time. Where is Lao's daughter?"

Musaku smirked. "You would never kill me, Ling."

Ling kneed Musaku in the groin. Each of the Bei Fong guards watching the fight groaned sympathetically, just imagining the pain and discomfort Musaku was experiencing. Musaku dropped back to his knees, coughing in agony. Ling raised a larger dagger above his head and swung it downward, prepared to stab Musaku in the center of his back. When Musaku spotted the knife flying towards him, he caved.

"Alright… alright, I'll tell you," he said in a pant.

Ling placed his hands on his hips and stood up straight. "That a boy."

"She's heading to Ba Sing Se. But please… she's going there with my wife. Whatever you do, please, I beg you, don't hurt my wife," Musaku pleaded, tears swimming in his eyes.

Ling patted Musaku on the back and grinned victoriously. "Now see, was that so difficult?"

The cluster of guards dispatched from the area and Musaku could hear Ling shout, "Men, we're heading for Ba Sing Se." Musaku toppled to the ground, sprawled out on his stomach. He buried his face in the grass, feeling massive amounts of guilt and regret pounding down on him.

----

Meanwhile, Toph, Sokka, and Zuna had finally arrived at the Serpent's Pass. A wooden gate greeted them at the entrance. Zuna brushed her fingertips against a pole with some writing carved into it.

"'Abandon hope,'" Zuna read aloud. "Is this some kind of warning? Maybe we should turn back."

Sokka turned to reply but was interrupted by a brutal cough from Zuna.

"With someone in your condition we can't afford to turn back now. We told your husband we'd get you a doctor in Ba Sing Se so we're gonna do our best to fulfill our end of the bargain. Besides, we'll be there in a day or two. Once we get past the Serpent's Pass it's nothing but easy breezes," Sokka assured the woman.

"'Easy breezes?' Who says that?" Toph teased.

"I'm not so sure I want to do this," Zuna confessed, backing away from the gate nervously. "Now that we're actually here… crossing a deadly pass infested with serpents doesn't sound like such a good idea."

Sokka stretched his arms up confidently. "Everything will be fine. Toph and I have crossed this pass a million times. We got this thing in the bag!"

Toph corrected, "Sokka, we've only been across this path once."

"One, one million, what's the difference?" He grinned and shrugged.

Zuna's eyes widened from fright. "Only 999,999!"

Sokka placed one hand on Zuna's shoulder and the other on Toph's. "Everyone just relax. I've got eyes like a fox hawk and ears like a… something that hears good. I'll be able to sense when those serpents are coming, no problem."

----

A couple of hours later and the three of them managed to make it to the halfway mark. Sokka knew because they reached the point where the trail ended and the path started up again about a hundred feet away. In between the two separated strips of land was a channel of water. Sokka stared at the opposite side longingly. Toph planted herself on the ground. First, she blew the strands of hair out of her face. Then, she picked up some dirt before letting it fall between the cracks of her fingers. Zuna just gazed up at the clouds in a bemused wonder.

"How are we supposed to get to the other side without any waterbenders?" Toph asked. "Don't you normally think these things through?"

Sokka aimed his pointer finger up at the sky knowingly. "I was once told it's okay not to think everything through."

"Okay, well, that doesn't dismiss the fact that we need to get over there," Toph retorted.

Sokka rubbed his chin, scanning his surroundings for an idea. He watched Zuna, with her tongue sticking out while analyzing the puffy clouds. He then studied Toph, sitting there with a hopeless look on her face.

Sokka smacked his forehead with his palm once the thought entered his mind. "Duh. We don't need waterbenders," Sokka told her.

Toph stood up and asked, "What do you mean?"

Sokka wrapped his arm around Toph's shoulder and pulled her in closely. "We got our own little earthbender right here. Just earthbend a path to connect this strip to that one."

"Now I just feel stupid. Why didn't I think of that?" Toph snorted.

"That's why you have me here. So whenever you have those blank moments I can help ya out," Sokka said as he gently rubbed his knuckles against the top of Toph's head.

Toph wiggled free of Sokka's grip and stepped towards the edge of the pass. Toph held her clenched fists close to her chest and broadened her base. She stomped her right foot forward before swiftly punching her right fist in the air. As her hand rose about twenty feet of earth that was once at the bottom of the sea leveled with the terrain they were standing on. Sokka guided Zuna to the very edge as Toph followed. Toph stepped in front of the group and planted her feet. Once again she forcefully slammed her bare foot to the earth and swung her arm through the air. More ocean floor rose and another twenty feet or so became accessible. Water rushed to the sides from the rumbling blocks of earth elevating and replacing the area the water once occupied.

Toph went through the process again and this time the three of them had made it almost halfway across the channel of water. Zuna happened to look out at the ocean when a dark shadow slithered under the water. The horrifyingly long creature sunk back below the depths and left Zuna petrified.

The sickly woman shook Sokka's hand, which she was holding at the time. "Sokka! Sokka!" she cried. She frantically looked back at the sea's surface to see if the shadow had returned.

"What is it?" Sokka asked as Toph bended another chunk of land from the depths.

"I just saw a blob! A blob in the ocean!" Zuna shouted.

Sokka told her, "I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it."

Zuna tugged on his robe. "I think it was the serpent!"

Sokka punched the air in front of him confidently. "What's the likelihood of one of those even coming near us again? Those serpents run the other way once Sokka hits the streets!"

Suddenly, a serpent exploded from the surface of the water. The green, scaly creature released a deafening shriek as it slapped its tail against the water. Another screech could be heard after that, but it did not come from the serpent. It came from Sokka, who was now cowering behind the feeble and ill Zuna.

"Where's that confidence now, boomerang boy?" Toph asked tauntingly.

"Bend, woman! Bend!" Sokka screamed as the serpent darted towards the group.

Without hesitation, Toph pounded her right foot to the ground, lifting more rock for them to walk on. Zuna stood frozen in fear as she watched the serpent head towards them. Sokka grabbed her hand and tugged her from the serpent's path just in time. The three scurried down the newly available land, fleeing from the ferocious serpent.

Just feet away from reaching the other side, Toph planted her feet one last time to create the final slab of land. As Toph prepared to punch the air above her head, the vicious sea monster swung its tail and struck the three of them. Toph, Sokka, and Zuna went skidding back from the blow.

_Splash_. Cries filled with fear and panic echoed. Sokka and Zuna skidded painfully across the bridge of land as Toph fell into the water. Toph's screams brought the serpent's attention to her. With her off land and struggling, she was an easy target. The snake-like creature swam rapidly through the water, heading for Toph.

Sokka held his ribs. His abdomen was revisited by the pain he had received from getting struck by a rock in his street fight in Gaoling. However, he pushed the thought aside and scrambled to his feet in order to save his friend. Luckily, Toph treaded water close to the ledge. She flailed her arms every which way, hoping she would grab a hold of something sturdy. Not knowing how to swim, Toph kicked her legs like whips, not very efficiently keeping her head above the surface.

With the serpent just yards away from chomping its large fangs down on Toph, Sokka bent over and snatched Toph's hand. He yanked her out of the ocean safely. Toph rested on her hands and knees, droplets of salt water dripping from her nose and loose strands of hair. She gasped for air and quaked from the fact she nearly died. Sokka leaned over and looked Toph in the eyes. With his hand on her soaking wet back, he was checking to see if she'd be okay.

"Look out!" Zuna called.

Sokka glanced up to see the serpent zipping at them for another go, its mouth open and dripping with saliva. Sokka reached for his boomerang and chucked it at the monster in the nick of time. It was only feet away, ready to snap its jaw down on the two of them, when Sokka's boomerang flew and hit the animal over the head. Sokka caught his boomerang midair and placed it back in its case.

Toph then stood up and hit the sea creature with numerous boulders. The serpent wailed in agony before descending back to the depths of the sea.

When there was no trace of the serpent, Toph collapsed into Sokka's arms for a hug. "Sokka, you did it!" she exclaimed proudly.

He beamed. "Yeah, I did didn't I?"

He closed his eyes and held his dear friend tightly as Toph nestled her chin on his shoulder. The two had almost been eaten by a hostile serpent; they needed a long hug.

"You saved my life," Toph whispered.

Sokka pulled away and scratched the back of his neck. "You know… no big deal."

----

Later that night, a full moon hung in the dark sky. The moon sparkled brilliantly as numerous stars glimmered alongside of it.

The night was cold and bitter. Toph did not benefit from this considering she was still wet from the events that happened earlier that day. She had a thin blanket wrapped around her that didn't do much but shield her back from the chilly breezes.

At this time, the three of them stopped to set up camp. They were exhausted from the day's travels and unforgettable incident. The group found a level area of land at the peak of a tall hill to make camp on.

Sokka, Toph, and Zuna sat around a small, crackling fire. The fire wouldn't last long taking into account the lack of twigs and wood they had available to burn. Toph was happy with the little amount of heat it was radiating while Sokka was glad he had something to look at. Meanwhile, Zuna had fallen into a deep slumber.

"Still cold?" Sokka asked, peering over at Toph who was shivering slightly.

"I'm fine," she murmured.

"Would it help if I wrapped my arms around you?"

Toph pulled the blanket around her tighter. "Don't forget about that wife of yours, ponytail."

Sokka argued, "Hey, I was only offering because it would provide body heat! These are scientific facts."

"Speaking of Suki, I still can't believe she just let you abandon her at Gaoling and go on this life-threatening journey."

Toph raised a brow at Sokka. He didn't spot it, though. He was too busy gazing into the fire.

He seemed to force a faint smile. "Yeah, she's one heck of a gal."

Toph scowled. Something wasn't right. She was starting to suspect this whole "married to Suki" thing was a charade. Although his heartbeat and breathing stayed the same, Sokka's claim was a tad implausible. Toph was determined to find out the truth.

"So, boomerang boy, are there gonna be any little Sokkas running around anytime soon?" asked Toph.

Sokka gulped before chuckling awkwardly. "Uh, what?"

Toph repeated more clearly, "Are you and Suki planning on having kids anytime soon?"

Sokka's head darted in all directions, scanning the area for any inspiration for a new subject.

"Well?"

"Uhhh…" Sokka's eyes landed on Zuna, who was curled up in a ball near the fire and sleeping soundly. "Look at Zuna sleeping. Isn't she cute?"

Toph lowered her eyebrows at him. "Now why would you ask me a stupid question like that?"

Sokka scratched the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, I forgot."

"No, I don't think you forgot. I think you're not even married to Suki… are you?" Toph asked. She knew the answer when Sokka's heartbeat spiked.

Sokka stood up and shuffled away. "What? What kind of question is that?" he laughed. "I mean, why would someone lie about something as serious as being married to someone? I mean that's just weird, am I right?"

"Maybe it didn't seem so weird at the time they thought about it." Toph shrugged.

Sokka continued to ramble while slowly backing away from Toph. "Well, what is marriage anyway? What would you even consider weird? I mean, you could say this…" Sokka searched the area for an adequate item. His mouth opened with delight when he picked up a small rock. "You could say this rock is weird! Or you could call me weird? Maybe you're weird! Zuna could be weird… Aang could be weird… Katara could be weird…"

Toph muttered as she shook her head, "One of us is weird alright."

"Zuko could be weird… Am I saying the word 'weird' a lot? It starts to sound funny the more you say it. Weird. Weird. Weird. WEEEEirrdAAHHHH. It's the middle part that sounds weird, don't you think?" Sokka erupted into laughter. "I just used the word right there in that sentence!" He sighed. "Ahhh, life's a hoot ain't it?"

"What about Suki? Could she be weird?" asked Toph.

Sokka jumped at his mistake. "Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Suki can be weird! Yep, yes she can! After all, I'm married to her so I would know best of all…"

Toph shot up from the ground and pointed at him. "I'm onto you, ponytail! Just admit you aren't married!"

Sokka scoffed and flicked his wrist at the girl. "Don't be ridiculous."

Toph took a step towards him. "Snoozles, are you forgetting that I can tell if you're lying? Might as well give up the pathetic charade."

Sokka asked, "Oh yeah? Well, if I wasn't married, would I do this?"

All of the sudden, Sokka grabbed Toph by the shoulders and pulled her in swiftly. Before Toph could react, she felt something gentle and moist press up against her lips. Toph only realized what was happening as soon as Sokka stopped kissing her. She stood there for a moment, frozen in shock. Soon her face burned red and she snatched Sokka's collar.

"That's exactly something a married person doesn't do, you idiot!" yelled Toph.

Sokka pinched his bottom lip and muffled, "Flaming hog monkeys, she's right."

A short pause rose between the two of them. Even though the other didn't know it, both were thinking about the same thing. Sokka tried grasping the fact that he just laid one on his close friend while Toph was attempting to wrap her mind around why Sokka would do such a thing. For years she had contemplated her feelings over him, but now was there a possibility that he could feel the same way back?

Sokka thought of how he not only ruined his whole claim of being married to Suki, but possibly revealed that he might have feelings for Toph. Oddly, these thoughts did not cause him to sink into a panic. He was too busy gawking at the beautiful woman standing before him. Her porcelain skin was lit up brilliantly by the dancing, red flames of the campfire. The ocean breeze twirled her bangs and weaved through her hair like a painting. Even as she stood there, still wet and cold from being attacked by a serpent earlier in the day, she managed to look graceful and elegant, yet powerful and strong. He knew Toph, and describing her as such felt so strange without adding a word like "strong" after.

Toph eventually broke the silence, bringing Sokka back to reality. He was lucky Toph couldn't see that his eyes were set on her the entire time. "So are you gonna tell me why you lied about being married?"

"I'm not really sure _why_."

She pulled her head back and raised a brow. "What do you mean you're not sure why? There has to be reason."

Sokka sighed. His shoulders slouched. "Okay, you want me to be honest?"

"I'd be able to tell if you were lying… but sure. Go for it."

"I told you I was married to Suki because…" he stopped himself.

Toph tapped her foot impatiently. "Because why?!" she demanded.

Sokka zipped around, facing away from her, and then crossed his arms. "Nope, I'm not telling you."

Toph poked her head over his shoulder. "What do you mean you're not telling me? Tell me this instant!"

Sokka rejected, "Not happening."

Toph whirled him around. "Tell me!"

"Nope."

"I'll earthbend you into space if you don't tell me!" Toph threatened.

He exhaled. "I made that whole thing up because… I was afraid that you were happy with some other guy by now and I just needed some ridiculous fib to distract myself with if that was the case." Sokka then admitted, "I didn't want you to see me as some lonely loser."

"You know that wouldn't happen. I can't see at all, remember?" Toph joked, punching him in the shoulder. "And why would you even think I'd be dating some guy? You know I hate people."

Sokka laughed. "You're right. The whole thing was stupid. I'm sorry."

"So how long _have_ you lived on Kyoshi Island? Because I know you said you've been married to Suki for three years but then you told that Daso dude the other day that you've only lived on Kyoshi Island for one year."

"I've lived on Kyoshi Island for a little less than one year. I actually own a blacksmith shop there but it hasn't been doing so well lately. I'm almost completely broke."

"So you went to Gaoling to escape?" Toph assumed.

Sokka smiled at her. "And I was kind of hoping I would run into you."

Toph held her arms out, gesturing at herself. "Well, you got your wish."

He whispered to himself, "I certainly did."

Toph yawned before sitting back on the ground. "Well, I have to admit, Sokka, I'm impressed that you pulled it off for such a long time. I suspected that you were pretending but it wasn't until today that I could actually tell that you were lying."

Sokka leaned back on his palms and peered up at the starry sky. "Man, what a day, huh? We get attacked by a serpent, you find out that I wasn't married-"

"We kissed," Toph interrupted.

Sokka's cheeks colored rosy. "Yeahhh, about that-"

"Relax, boomerang boy. It meant nothing, right?" Toph asked, hoping with all her heart that he'd confess it was something more.

Sokka played it safe. "Definitely."

Toph scowled in disappointment. She would've loved to be able to sense if he was lying or not, but his heartbeat was pretty rapid throughout the entire conversation.

"We're friends," said Toph.

Sokka corrected her. "Best friends."

* * *

**A/N: Sighhhh… I'm feeling so depressed about this story lately. It's not nearly as good as I wanted it to be and half of it doesn't make sense. Up side: I learned a lot from writing this fic. I need to plan ahead a lot more before starting the writing process. Like why couldn't they have gone through the sewers at Omashu? Why couldn't they have gotten an ostrich horse to ride to Ba Sing Se? Why couldn't they have ridden the ferry instead of crossing the Serpent's Pass? My point: plan every single detail of your stories out. Then you won't get a heaping pile of unplanned crap like my story. I also need to work on writing for Toph and Sokka and keeping them IC.**

**There are two more chapters after this. I was planning on having this story be somewhere from 10-15 chapters long but I don't know if I'll make it. I'll somehow morph the eighth chapter into the ending of the story all together. The only reasons I continue to post chapters of this story is because I know there are a few people that do like it and I don't want another incomplete story on my fanfiction account.**

**I'm not proud of this story at all sadly. But if you do slightly enjoy my stories, this isn't an end to me writing for good. I will be writing more and next time it won't suck like this story does.**

**Oh yeah, thanks to my two betas Leona629 and PetertheChameleon. They make this fic not suck as much as it could.**

**P.S. I'm not saying my story sucks because I'm looking for pity or people to go "NO WAI! THIS DOESN'T SUCK! XD" Let's be real here. Since we all probably agree it's not the best story ever, I would love to hear some constructive criticism. Also, sorry for the extremely long author's note.**


	7. Ba Sing Se, Part One

Ba Sing Se

Four years ago…

Men and women of high importance and nobility gathered in one of the many ballrooms inside the Earth King's palace. Couples danced appropriately in the center of the room while tables covered in boundless amounts of food lined the perimeter. A small orchestra played their catchy music for the partygoers to enjoy. The large room was echoing with a roar of pleasant conversation and laughter. Everyone seemed to be fond of the event.

"Musaku, my man!" a nobleman bellowed merrily. "Congrats on the promotion."

Musaku beamed, his hands tucked in his long sleeves. "Thank you, Kei."

Kei was a shorter than average male with a bit too much weight on his bones. His gut bounced as he marched across the room, greeting everyone he knew with much enthusiasm. He wore fancy Earth Kingdom robes to the special occasion. Kei's stomach was much too large to tie the jacket closed, so he sported it open proudly.

Musaku was a chubbier man in the past. He had a well-groomed, brown beard while a small, green hat, covering just the top of his head, sat on top of his long hair. No wrinkles had quite settled in although his brownish-red locks were graying. Musaku wore an elaborate Ba Sing Se robe with real, sparkling, gold piping on the edges.

"Can you believe this whole party is for you?" Kei asked, poking his nose under Musaku's chin as the man averted eye contact. Kei twisted around to see what his friend was staring at. "What are you looking at?"

Musaku's eyes had landed on the most beautiful woman in the room. She entered the ballroom with such elegance and finesse. While all the other women wore over-the-top gowns with layers upon layers of fabric, this particular woman wore a simple green silk dress, and a beautifully crafted gold belt hung around her hips. The dress hugged her petite body gorgeously and her short, chocolate brown hair was kept out of her face with two gold clips.

"Are you staring at my sister?" Kei asked in disgust.

Musaku shook his head, redirecting his focus back on his friend. "Oh no, of course not," he coughed.

Kei wrapped his arm around Musaku and waggled his eyebrows. "You know, as the new Treasurer of Ba Sing Se, you could probably get any woman you want."

Musaku stumbled over his words. "I will not use my political position to benefit myself in… miscellaneous social encounters."

"You need to move on sometime, bro." Kei patted Musaku on the shoulder. "Mi would want you to."

"How do you know what Mi would want?"

Kei stepped back with his flabby hands up. "Hey, man, don't bring out the heat on me now. I'm just trying to help you out. These ladies are itching for some Musaku."

He narrowed his eyes at the man. "I won't take advantage of these women."

Kei rolled his eyes. "Like no man has ever used their power just to get some game."

Musaku shook his head at Kei. "You know, for a full grown man, you are not very mature."

Kei studied the women nearest to them. "Which is why you need me. Without me, you would've never been introduced to her." Kei pointed to a slender female with black hair.

"What are you talking about?" Musaku raised a brow at the man, but before he got his answer Kei shoved him into the woman, resulting in her beverage spilling all over her dress.

Musaku's eyes widened with disbelief. "I am so sorry, ma'am. Here, let me help you. I'll get you some towels."

Musaku rushed to get some towels for the woman he had just bumped into. He arrived at one of the food tables and searched amongst the feast for the towels he desired.

"Don't worry." Musaku jumped in surprise and spun around to see the woman he was watching before standing next to him. "I get a little stressed after seeing all this food too. Too much to choose from," she joked with a friendly smile. She must've seen Musaku expression, which was filled with panic and humiliation.

Musaku had trouble starting his sentence. "I actually just—"

The woman peered beyond Musaku's shoulder. "Your date doesn't look too happy." She spotted the black haired woman staring at her dress in anger and repulsion.

"She's not my date," the two said in unison.

"How'd you know I was gonna say that?" Musaku asked, impressed.

The woman stuffed a snack in her mouth without caring how unappealing she looked. "I've been to so many of these ridiculous parties I can basically guess what any guy will say in conversation."

Musaku wasn't sure what to say after that. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm Zuna."

"I'm Musaku."

She smiled while tugging Musaku towards the dance floor. "Dance with me."

Musaku did as he was told, as it seemed he did not have much of a choice. The two danced for some time. They chatted as they stepped through the motions of customary Ba Sing Se dancing. Musaku had completely forgotten about the woman he bumped into earlier. He couldn't help but fall in love with this woman.

----

A month later Zuna and Musaku wedded. Hundreds of guests attended the ceremony because the Earth King's advisors insisted on throwing an extravagant wedding for one of his higher-up employees. Musaku was happy with the life he had attained. However, there was a major piece missing and the main reason why he worked his way up to the Treasurer of Ba Sing Se. The Earth King's Treasure.

"Why do you need a visit with Mister Long Feng?" a guard patrolling Long Feng's office asked Musaku.

"I am the Treasurer of Ba Sing Se and I have some reports that are essential for the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se to hear," Musaku told him, his hands hidden in his sleeves.

The guard nodded. "Very well."

He opened the door and allowed Musaku to enter the office. The room was dimly lit, a strange, green fire flickering from one side of the room. Each wall had towering bookcases filled with tomes and in the center of the room was a desk and chair, which was littered with a few crinkled papers. Long Feng was sitting on his couch, sipping a cup of tea.

Musaku bowed. "Sir."

Long Feng stood and bowed back. "What brings you here?"

Musaku meandered around the room, shifting all his weight onto his toes and planting them softly on the ground as he took each step. "I have a few questions, if you don't mind, Mister Long Feng, Sir."

Long Feng squinted his eyes as he examined Musaku's movements carefully. "Alright."

"You see, as head treasurer of Ba Sing Se, I'm required to know everything there is to know about this city's past… and still existing currencies."

"Yes?"

Musaku brushed his fingertips across some dusty books on a shelf. "I understand that there is a valuable somewhere hidden in the capital. Is that true?"

"There are numerous legal tenders we keep to ourselves, yes," Long Feng said carefully.

Musaku pulled out an encyclopedia and opened it up to a random page. "There have been rumors that the very first Earth King stowed a portion of his gold away somewhere in palace. He did this to be sure that his heirs would always have financial support." He pushed the book back in its slot with two fingers. "Every Earth King since then has been aware of its location and as the Earth King's most trusted advisor, I assume you know where it is as well, am I correct?"

"Musaku, since you are a new to the Earth King's employ, I tell you that it is not your place to ask." Musaku noticed Long Feng's glance land on a particular box sitting on a shelf. "Now if you would please leave my office—"

Musaku was growing impatient and agitated. "Pardon me, but it is my job to know this information. I am in charge of Ba Sing Se's funds and wealth and I must know."

"Enough!" Long Feng shouted. "Leave my office at once before I have to call a guard. You don't want the king himself to hear about his newest employee's disloyalty, do you?"

Musaku bowed before exiting the room. "Please, forgive my insolence. I will not disregard your orders again, sir."

----

Musaku pressed his back up against the wall. He peered around the corner to see two guards by Long Feng's office talking quietly. The door opened and Long Feng stepped out. He turned a corner and walked down the hallway with his two guards following him. When Musaku could no longer hear their voices and was sure they had turned another corner, he stepped out into the main hallway. Musaku crept towards the door, checking all passageways he passed for any patrolling guards. He tip-toed cautiously, being careful not to make a sound. All of a sudden, he spotted a man turn a corner into his hallway. Thinking fast, he dove into a recess in the brick wall. The elderly man walked right passed him, muttering to himself. Musaku exhaled in relief.

Musaku stood before the tall, office door and tried its knob. It was locked, just as he suspected. Musaku removed a sleek dagger from its sheath and sawed at the hinges on the door. He constantly looked up from his work, making sure there were no other people ambling through the halls. Eventually, he broke the hinges off the door and kicked it down. It landed with a loud slam and picked up dust from the carpet.

Musaku tucked his knife away and smirked. It was all smooth sailing from here. He had wandered around this room before, looking for any hidden traps that may be placed in Long Feng's office to catch burglars. He was sure there were none. Now, it was time to retrieve the item he longed for. Oddly, he took his time walking towards the box on the shelf. Musaku wanted to enjoy every glorious moment he had of near-victory. He saw Long Feng stare at this box during their conversation, so he was positive there had to be something important stored inside.

Musaku seized the beautifully crafted, silver container from its spot on the bookcase. He dragged his hand across the top of it, removing the collected dust from the lid. Next, he lifted the cover vigilantly, only opening it a crack at first. Musaku peered inside the box, but it was too dark to see what was held inside. He took off the lid completely and placed it on Long Feng's desk.

When Musaku saw what sat in the container he was delighted and amazed. Within the box was a black key and tied to it was an off-white sheet of parchment. Musaku snatched the key and note like a hungry rat gobbling up food remains on the street. He placed the box back on the shelf just how it was. He stuffed the key in his tunic and evacuated the premises. Long Feng could have returned at any moment. He knew there was no way of hiding his break-in. News would travel fast around the palace. None of that mattered to Musaku. He now possessed the key to the Earth King's treasure.

Musaku immediately unraveled the note once he got back to his room. He almost dropped it in the process due to his shaking. He read it about four times before actually processing the information on the slip of paper. The man was too excited and nervous the first three times he read it. His eyes just ran over the words as if they weren't even there. Finally, he calmed himself down enough to really comprehend it.

_Follow the purple crystal to the silver door._

"Purple crystal?" Musaku gave the paper a look of confusion, as if it could read his expression and explain further. Musaku smiled once he figured it out. "Ba Sing Se harvests crystal in the Crystal Catacombs. There must be a trail of purple crystal that leads to where they keep the Earth King's Treasure."

Musaku couldn't wait any longer. He rushed to the lowest level of the palace where the entrance to the Crystal Catacombs was located. He heaved open the heavy, stone door which revealed a dark tunnel. He looked both ways before entering the tunnel and closing the door behind him. Musaku followed the long, winding path until it finally opened up to an enormous underground chamber with a waterfall. The view was breathtaking. There were dozens of tunnels that led to other corridors in the underground necropolis. Glowing, green gemstones sprouted out of each rock formation and the clear water from the waterfall seemed to glow and illuminate the whole chamber.

Musaku spotted the trail of purple crystal and followed it into a tunnel. The purple crystals hung from the ceiling like stalactites and spiraled down the winding path. The path came to a four way intersection and purple gemstone crawled down the ceiling in each direction. Musaku sighed; having a feeling this adventure wouldn't be as easy as it had been thus far. The first two he went down were dead ends. The next one he tried led to a fork in the tunnel. He decided to go left first and that led to another fork in the path. Rather than choosing another trail to take, he went back and tried the right path just to be sure it didn't lead somewhere else. When he arrived at a dead end he was forced to go all the way back. Eventually, he reached his destination.

At the end of the tunnel was a large, metal door. The door was rusty and tarnished from hundreds of years in the damp underground. Three latches extended from one side of the door to the other. A giant, silver wheel was attached to the center and a keyhole sat below the vault handle. The amount of bulky bolts and screws on the door intimidated Musaku a bit. He started to doubt such a tiny key could unlock such a massive door. He was going to have to find out. Musaku shakily stuck the key into the keyhole and twisted it slowly. He smiled in relief once hearing some gears inside the metal door clank around. The treasurer looked behind him to be sure no one was there before spinning the silver wheel. With a few more loud clanks, the three latches across the door lifted from top to bottom. Musaku then grasped the handle and tugged as hard as he could. The vault opened and a cloud of dust attacked Musaku. He swatted the dust away and entered the spacious vault.

----

An intense summer sun heated the earth with its morning rays as the first train of the day departed the station. Zuna stuck her head out the window, cooling her face from her unpredictable fever. The shuttle was full of civilians excited to enter the inner ring of Ba Sing Se. The three had woken up early that morning in order to make the first train. Toph and Sokka wanted to get Zuna to a doctor as soon as possible.

"I wonder how much Ba Sing Se has changed since we were there last," Sokka thought aloud, his chin planted on his palm as he watched the acres of farmland pass them by.

Toph sat with her arms folded. "Probably just the same old city, with the same old walls, and the same old rules."

"I'll bet things are better now that the Dai Lee is gone," said Sokka.

Toph cracked a smile. "You're a dreamer, Sokka."

Zuna's face lit up once setting eyes on the monstrous, amazingly sculpted inner wall. Seconds later their shuttle passed through the inner wall and the passengers were greeted with a new spectacle: the breathtaking sight of the enormous capital, Ba Sing Se. Everything in the metropolis was restored to the way it had been before the Fire Nation conquered it. Sokka forgot how vast the city was, with its miles of green roofed houses and endless supply of residents strolling in the streets.

The shuttle came to a halt in a station that was located in the middle ring. Sokka grabbed Zuna's hand, who still had her head hanging out of the window, and led her off the train. Toph followed shortly behind. People were shoving their way through the crowd of slowly dispersing passengers and one man was careless enough to stomp on one of Toph's bare feet. He was hefty and grizzly with his head almost touching the ceiling of the train.

"Ow!" she cried. "Watch where you're going!"

The man spun around. "Maybe if you tried wearing shoes!"

"Shoes are so nice, aren't they?" Zuna asked.

Toph shook her fist at the man. "These bare feet happen to be able to kick your butt."

Sokka noticed the squabble and released Zuna from his grip in order to go tame the two. He stepped between Toph and the man and separated them with his arms.

"Alright, that's enough."

The man growled before marching off the train. "This is a waste of my time anyway. I've got places to be."

Toph called after him, "Yeah, have fun on that date with your mom!"

Sokka watched the man storm away. "We've been in the city for two minutes and already you've started some tiff?"

Toph crossed her arms and lowered her chin to her chest. "You know I hate this city."

Sokka clapped his hand on her shoulder. "I know you hate it. It's grimy, overpopulated, and has way too many rules."

"The grimy part I don't mind so much."

"You'd probably like it if it were even dirtier," Sokka joked.

"And you'd probably like it more if the merchants on every street corner gave away free meat," said Toph.

Sokka scratched his chin as he imagined such a wonderful thing. "Indeed, that would be nice… but for now we have to live with how things are and find Zuna a doctor."

Sokka and Toph took a few steps off the train and into the station.

"I'm starting to forget why we came all this way in the first place," Toph muttered.

"Well, Zuna needed our help," Sokka reminded her. "And Musaku would've told your parents what I got you into and they would've killed me."

"I don't think they would have _killed_ you."

Sokka shrugged. "Yeah maybe not, but your parents still scare me. Every time I'm in a room with them I suddenly have to pee."

Toph chuckled, "Why?"

Sokka's voice cracked as he explained, slightly embarrassed, "I have to pee when I get nervous."

Toph walked further towards the center of the station. "Anyway, this whole adventure better be well worth it in the end. Zuna and that hubby of hers better treat us like royalty when we return her home healthy."

"Can't you do one selfless deed and not have to get something in return? Don't you like that warm feeling you get inside?" Sokka asked before taking a couple steps to be standing beside her.

Toph turned her head towards him and raised a brow. "Oh, yeah, how would you know, Ponytail? What other generous deeds have you done?"

Sokka wagged his finger at her in his own defense. "I've done plenty!"

"Alright, before you brag any longer about your deep generosity, I guess we should get Zuna to a doctor."

At this point, all the passengers had departed the shuttle and the train station was relatively empty. Toph and Sokka stood in the center, scanning the area for the sickly woman they had been traveling with.

"Where is she?" Sokka asked, spinning in all directions, looking for her. "I don't see her anywhere."

Toph pressed her hand against the cold, stone ground. "I can't feel her anywhere either."

"What?!" Sokka cried, tugging on his hair in disbelief. He then took a deep breath. "Okay, Sokka," he told himself. "Remain calm. She couldn't have gotten too far."

"Search the station for her," Toph said before splitting up and briskly walking across the station in search of her.

Sokka nodded at the spot where Toph was once standing and began searching the area for her as well. They met back in the center, both of them slightly panting, with no luck.

"Where could she be? How could she wander off that far that fast?" Sokka asked.

Toph obviously didn't have the answer, so alls she could think of to say was: "The girl can move, I guess."

Sokka scanned the area one last time before completely realizing Zuna was gone. His eyes then diverted to the floor which welcomed him to the idea of collapsing onto his knees and crying like a baby.

Moments later he dropped to his knees and dry-sobbed, "We've gotten this far with no problems and now this happens?"

"No problems? Sokka, we've been attacked by at least one person in every town we've visited," Toph pointed out.

"Why? Why universe? Why?" Sokka cocked his head back and shook his fists at the sky.

After several more minutes of Sokka whining hysterically and rolling and squirming all over the train station floor, Toph had enough of it. She grasped his collar in her hand tightly, sweeping him to his feet.

"Listen, Blubber Mouth, do you want to roll around crying on the floor all day or do you want to find the sick chick?" When he didn't answer Toph shook him impatiently. "Well?!"

Sokka wiped away his tears and nodded. Toph released him from her grip, causing him to fall flat on the ground. He picked himself up and dusted off his tunic.

"Where should we look?"

"I don't know." Toph shrugged. "I'm not the planning guy."

Sokka situated his hand so his chin fit right between his thumb and index finger. "We should split up again. Ask everyone you can if they've seen a short, sickly, brown-haired woman. We'll meet back here at sundown," Sokka told Toph.

"Aye, aye, Captain." Toph saluted before heading off in the opposite direction as her fellow traveler. He found it cute that she still says that.

The two of them started their search in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se since that's where the station was located. Hours passed and the sun was beginning to settle on the horizon. No one had any idea who Zuna was, but a few did say they'd seen a woman with short, brown hair. However, when Sokka asked in further detail about her appearance, the person would not recall that particular woman having that physical trait. It just happened to be a woman with chocolate brown hair cut around her ears.

However, when a person said they saw a brunette woman with boy-short tresses to Toph, the earthbender was not able to ask about the woman they saw in further detail. She only knew Zuna had short, brown hair because Sokka told her. Toph had no choice but to ask what direction they saw her go and follow it. Every time it led her to a dead end.

"Hello, sir. Sorry to bother you," Sokka greeted a merchant at his booth.

The man had brown hair, almost black, which was tied back in a long, thin braid. He wore a pale, olive green button up shirt and stiff, tan, knee length shorts that exposed his hairy bird legs.

"Yes?" His voice was smooth and upbeat.

"I'm looking for my friend and I have no idea where she went," Sokka informed him.

The man gasped slightly. "I am sorry to hear that."

Sokka asked, tapping his index finger on his opposite palm, "You wouldn't have happened to see a woman, kind of sickly looking, this tall, and with short, brown hair have you? Her name is Zuna."

The man leaned forward eagerly. "Zuna you say?"

Sokka shook his fists in delight and at the possibility this man might know where she is. "Yes, Zuna is her name!"

"My friend Musaku from Gaoling is married to a Zuna," the man told him.

Sokka eagerly jumped towards the man. "That's the one. Have you seen her?"

The man bowed his head in sadness. "Unfortunately, I have not seen her around here."

Sokka frowned in disappointment as he grumbled a curse to himself.

"The name is Chang," the man introduced with a quick bow.

"'Chang' you say?" Sokka leaned forward in disbelief. "Wow, what are the chances? I remember Musaku mentioning you. I actually have a package to give you from him."

"Then you must be a friend of Musaku's as well?" he asked.

Sokka nodded. "I'm Sokka. We promised we'd take his wife to Ba Sing Se to receive medical attention."

"Interesting…" He tapped his chin and stared at the ground. "I did not know Zuna was ill."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. She has a fever and a few days ago she coughed up blood."

Chang beamed. "Luckily I have a close friend who is a doctor. He'd be more than happy to help Zuna when we find her."

Sokka smiled in relief. "That sounds great."

"Please, as a fellow friend of Musaku, let me help you find his wife. You may also stay at my home as long as you need," Chang invited politely.

Sokka pressed his fist against his opposite palm and bowed. "That would be very much appreciated. Thank you."

Chang and Sokka wandered the area, quizzing every person they saw on Zuna's appearance. As the sun grew close to setting there were less citizens strolling through the streets. Shops were closing at the time and as the moon moved higher up in the sky, the night chill intensified. Eventually, when Sokka and Chang found themselves to be the only ones on the road, they decided to call it quits for the day.

"We'll continue our search tomorrow," Chang said as he turned to guide Sokka to his home.

"Actually, is it alright if we stop by the train station first? I told a friend that I'd meet her there at sundown," Sokka told him.

The friendly man smiled. "Of course."

The two headed for the train station where Sokka predicted an enraged Toph would be waiting for had been an hour since the sun set and that was the time he agreed to meet her there. When they arrived, Toph was at the top of the steps, tapping her foot impatiently. Each time her bare foot touched the ground it made the train station quake.

"Where have you been, Snoozles?!" demanded Toph, her fists shaking at her hips.

Chang said, "This must be your friend."

"Chang, this is Toph. Toph, this is Chang," Sokka introduced.

Chang bowed and smiled, ignoring Toph's apparent anger. "Nice to meet you."

"He's a friend of Musaku's and even knows a doctor that can help Zuna out," Sokka told her.

Toph crossed her arms and huffed, "This would be great news if we actually knew where she was."

"We'll continue our search tomorrow, but for now—"

"Our search?" Toph interrupted Chang.

"Yes, I would like to help you find Zuna. I'm concerned for her safety and well-being."

The angered wrinkles on Toph's forehead slid into a more relaxed expression. "Alright, welcome to the search party, Cho."

The man corrected, a smile still plastered across his face, "It's Chang."

Chang began to walk towards the train station's steps which led down to the roads of the middle ring. "It's late to be wandering streets. Let's get to my house before we run into any trouble."

"Will there be food?" Sokka asked.

Chang chuckled warmly. "Plenty."

Toph asked, "Hey Sokka, did you give Chang the package Musaku wanted us to give him?"

Sokka slapped his forehead in remembrance. "Oh, no, I almost forgot."

Chang stepped towards Sokka keenly, almost forgetting about it himself. "Yes, the package!"

Sokka fished the box out of his bag and presented it to him. "Here you are. He ordered we didn't open it."

Chang accepted the package with a broad grin. "Thank you."

----

The next two days the three of them decided to tackle the middle ring in their search for Zuna. Each ring was so huge and broad that it would take days, perhaps weeks, just for the three of them to search one ring of Ba Sing Se. Weeks from now, who knows what will be of Zuna. Sokka knew they were going to need more help if they really wanted to find her.

It was the middle of the day when Toph and Sokka met up at the Jasmine Dragon in the upper ring. The teashop was crowded with the lunch wave but the two managed to claim a table in the back corner. They were both surprised to discover that Smellerbee and Longshot still lived in Ba Sing Se and worked at Iroh's shop. Longshot poured Toph and Sokka a cup of tea. They thanked him and he bowed, teapot in hand, before leaving to tend to the other customers.

Toph sensed Sokka was distracted and distant. "You okay, Snoozles?"

Sokka looked up from his reflection in his teacup. "I'm worried about Zuna. What if something bad happened to her? What if she got kidnapped?"

Toph spun the glass cup in her palms. "Unfortunately, there's no way of finding out unless we find her."

"So how much ground did you cover?" Sokka asked.

Toph sighed. "Not much. I mean I'm worried about Zuna and I want her to be okay and everything, but this searching nonstop thing is exhausting."

"I know what you mean," said Sokka softly. "But we can't just stop looking for her. She's our friend."

Toph kidded, "No matter how delusional she is." Sokka chuckled, which was all Toph wanted to hear.

The warrior's stern expression returned. He fixated back on his reflection in his untouched tea. "The thing is… none of this would've ever happened if I hadn't let go of her hand. Zuna missing is my fault."

"You couldn't have known that taking your eyes off of her for one minute would become this big of a situation. Besides, you were breaking up a fight between me and that guy. So it's my fault."

Before Sokka could reply Iroh walked over with a broad smile.

"Toph and Sokka, it has been too long," he greeted.

Sokka stood up from his seat and hugged Iroh. "It's good to see you, General Iroh."

Iroh pulled back from Sokka and wagged a finger at him. "Now, now, I am retired, remember?"

Toph got up from her seat and hugged Iroh next. "How ya been, Dragon of the West?"

Everyone took their seats before Iroh answered. The man's grey hair and beard were well groomed and he fashioned green Earth Kingdom robes that matched the décor of his shop.

"The Jasmine Dragon has been doing very well," he informed them elatedly. "I hired Smellerbee and Longshot a couple of weeks ago and they've been doing an excellent job."

"I didn't know they still lived in Ba Sing Se after all these years," said Sokka, finally taking his first sip of tea.

"They haven't been. I'm not sure when they left or when they got back," Iroh admitted. He added with a playful smile, "The two of them are people of few words."

Toph joked, after gulping down the rest of her tea, "You could learn a thing or two from them, Boomerang Boy."

Iroh asked, "What brings you two to the big city? It's been quite a while hasn't it?"

Sokka nodded. "I haven't been here since a year after the war ended."

"That's when I was last here too," Toph responded.

"We're here because a friend of ours from Gaoling has a sick wife. He asked us to bring her here to seek medical attention," Sokka explained.

Toph interrupted, "Well, he didn't ask us. More like locked us in a room and forced us."

Iroh's eyes widened. "Sounds like a serious situation. Is she seeing a doctor right now?"

A shadow of sadness and guilt cast itself on Sokka's face. "That's the thing. The day we arrived she went missing and we've been searching for her the last three days."

"I am sorry to hear that," said Iroh. "What does she look like? It is possible I've seen her."

Sokka answered, "She's short and petite with short, brown hair."

Toph swept her bangs out of her face so they wouldn't tickle her nose. "Not to mention, she looks like she's dying."

Iroh said sadly, "I don't think I've seen her but I will keep an open eye."

"That woman is impossible to find," Toph groaned.

Sokka set his head on the table. "We're exhausted."

Toph swung her foot onto the table, practically kicking Sokka in the head. He jumped back once he realized her foot was inches away from his face. "Even my blisters have blisters."

Sokka pushed Toph's foot off the table. "Hey, if your blisters have blisters, would that make them baby blisters?!" Sokka joked overenthusiastically. Neither Toph nor Iroh laughed.

After the short pause Toph said to him, "You're lucky you can read a map."

Iroh poured himself a cup of tea. "The key to telling jokes, and to life, is balance. The right balance of delivery and zest for jokes, and the right balance of work and relaxation for life." Iroh wafted the fumes emanating from his tea to his nostrils. He inhaled through his nose deeply. "Tea and friends is the perfect formula for relaxation. Unless, of course, there is something more than friendship—"

Sokka looked from Iroh to Toph, not exactly sure of what he was saying. "Wait… what?"

Iroh tried to put it as delicately as possible, in case his assumptions were incorrect. "I mean you came to Ba Sing Se together…"

Toph raised a brow. "Are you asking if Snoozles and I are together?"

Toph was interested in hearing Sokka's reaction to this, so she didn't object right away.

Sokka cocked his head back and laughed. "We are not a couple."

There it was. He said it as simple as it gets. Toph knew they were not a couple, that was obvious, but there would always be that glimmer of hope inside of her that someday the Water Tribe boy sitting next to her would return those feelings she had for him ever since they were kids.

"Well, then, my mistake." Iroh took a small swig from his teacup.

Sokka quickly changed the subject. He stared out the open door of the Jasmine Dragon. "I wonder how Chang is doing."

"Probably just as good as us," Toph replied.

Iroh asked, "Whose Chang?"

"He's a friend of Zuna's husband. We found him and he offered to help us look for her. He's even letting us stay with him," Sokka explained.

Iroh insisted, "There are enough rooms for you to stay with me."

"Seriously?" Toph asked. She turned her head towards Sokka. "I don't know about you, Ponytail, but I'd rather stay with Iroh than some stranger."

"Me too. We'll tell Chang later when we find him."

Iroh finished his tea and stood from his chair. "I'll help you search for Zuna. I can close up shop early today so Smellerbee and Longshot can help as well."

"Toph and I are going to go look for Chang and see how he's doing. When you're done closing up shop you can help us search the middle ring. That's the one we've been focusing on," Sokka told him.

Sokka stood up and turned to exit the teashop. What he did not know was that Smellerbee was walking to the back of the shop with a stack of dishes. The two bumped into each other and every glass plate and cup shattered on the floor. The whole restaurant went quiet from the loud crash. Smellerbee examined the mess, wishing that hadn't just happened and the dishes would all somehow reassemble. However, they did not. So she stood there for a moment, absorbing the fact that she would have to clean the entire mess up.

"I am so sorry!" Sokka shouted before bending over and collecting some larger pieces of glass in his hands. "I'll help you clean up."

Iroh said, "Don't worry about it, Sokka. We three will handle it. Right now you need to continue your search for Zuna. She's who needs you the most."

Sokka nodded. Toph stood up from her seat and was about to journey through the mishmash of broken glass but Sokka quickly stopped her.

"Toph wait, you'll cut your feet trying to walk through this mess."

"Then how am I supposed to get out of here?"

"Here, I'll carry you," Sokka insisted.

Without any objection, Toph allowed Sokka to pick her off the ground and carry her out of the Jasmine Dragon. Toph subconsciously rested her head against his chest as she remembered the time he had to carry her around when Zuko burnt her feet. Strange how it felt so natural and comfortable back then and it still did now.

Iroh watched Sokka carry Toph out the doors and muttered to himself, "They'll realize it soon enough."

Sokka set Toph's feet on the ground once he had walked her down the steps. The two were about to go look for Chang but a man approached them.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation in there. Did you say that you're looking for a short, brown-haired woman named Zuna?" he asked.

"Yes," Sokka answered.

"I have a woman like that staying at my inn. I noticed her wandering the streets sick so I offered her a room. I've been taking care of her to the best of my ability. I think she's gotten a lot better. If you come with me I can take you to her," he told them.

Sokka looked at Toph in sheer happiness and Toph turned her head towards him with the same expression.

"Yeah, alright!" Sokka exclaimed and gave Toph a celebratory high five.

"My inn is in the lower ring. I'm not the wealthiest man but I get by. I have a part time job as a security guard for the palace to earn some extra cash," he explained rather openly. "That's why I'm wearing this armor. But no worries, my shift is over so I can bring you to my inn."

"Thanks so much," Sokka replied. "Oh, by the way, I'm Sokka and this is Toph," he introduced.

The man smiled back at them over his shoulder as they began walking. "Pleasure to meet you."

He was a tall man wearing earth toned armor that hid his lean psyche. His face was very skeletal and narrow with a well-defined cleft chin. His black hair was pulled back in a long braid and a knife tucked in its sheath hung from his hip.

The three traveled through the lower ring and weaved through the alleyways between some decrepit buildings. The man turned onto a vacant street where all the windows and doors on the buildings were boarded shut. Sokka examined the area with a raised brow. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

The man unlocked the door to one of the houses and swung it open, welcoming Toph and Sokka to enter. Toph realized the building was constructed of wood so she linked her arm with Sokka's. The two stepped into the dark room and Sokka wondered how people in the inn could see anything. Then he wondered if this was even an inn at all.

"Do you have a candle or anything we can light?" Sokka asked. "It's kind of dark."

"Lights out," the man grunted as he struck Sokka and Toph over the head.

The room spun for a bit before the two of them toppled to the floor and blacked out.

* * *

**A/N: If you've read any of my stories before you'll begin to learn that I absolutely ****LOVE**** cliffhangers. I love to read them and I especially love to write them.**

**You might be thinking, "Musaku is a bad guy!?" Well… no. He's just greedy and maybe a little insane.**

**I just love bringing back old characters: Lee and his family, Long Feng, Smellerbee and Longshot, and, of course, one of my favorite characters on the show, IROH! 3 I love writing dialogue for Iroh. I get to act all wise and what not (although it can be very challenging).**

**Oh yeah! And we finally see the beginning of some pirate action going on! About time, right? Only took seven chapters even though that's what this fic is all about. Don't fret, next chapter has lots of pirate action!**

**P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last chapter and has reviewed in general! Like you have no idea how much all of your words have inspired me and made me feel better about my writing :] All of your advice has helped me a bunch so if you think that one review with the slightest bit of advice won't make that huge of a difference you're wrong. It makes all the difference to me, I really appreciate them.**

**P.S.S. Thanks a billion to my beta PetertheChameleon!!! Really, you never run out of awesome advice.**


	8. Ba Sing Se, Part Two

Ba Sing Se, Part Two

Toph woke with a throbbing headache. She could feel the blood pushing through the veins in her temples. Her eyes opened as if someone had tied anchors to them. Her chin had gotten to know the wooden floor quite well. She was lying on her stomach with her hands and feet tied behind her back. She had a feeling Sokka was in the same situation.

"Sokka, are you there?" she called out.

To her surprise, the man that knocked them unconscious answered. "Monkey feathers, you woke up sooner than I anticipated!"

Normally Toph would have interrogated the stranger and demanded he untie her, but she couldn't think of any fitting questions. The only thought on her mind was how much her head ached.

"Luckily, you're boyfriend is still out cold."

Toph could here limbs being tossed around on the floor. She knew it was Sokka getting tied up. Toph rolled on her side so she could talk. Her right elbow and knee were now digging into the hard surface of the wood floor but she had to swallow her pain for now. "Who are you?! What do you want?!" Toph finally asked.

Once finishing the final knot, the man dusted off his hands, satisfied with his work. "You mean you don't recognize my voice? Oh, that's right. You never pay any attention to your palace guards. You only pay attention to yourself."

Toph almost gasped. "Palace guard? You work for my family?"

"I'm Ling." He crouched down and breathed in her ear, "And daddy's been missing his precious, little girl."

Toph felt the urge to bite his face, since her mouth was the only weapon she had available. "How did you find us?"

"Your friend Musaku told me your whereabouts." Toph's eyes shot open in shock. Ling twirled his knife in his hand. "He was uncompromising at first but eventually I broke him."

Toph would have liked to feel hurt and betrayed, but she had to concentrate on getting out of this predicament. She wanted to tear these ropes apart and kick Ling's butt with some major earthbending, but she was unable to do so. Toph squirmed and tugged her limbs away from each other, but the ropes were too strong. After numerous more attempts at wiggling free and Ling just laughing at her pathetic efforts, Toph gave up. It was one of the few times in her life she felt useless. Useless and _blind_. She cringed as the word echoed in her head.

"Sokka! Sokka, wake up!" she cried.

No reply. Next, she was thrown into a closet and she heard a thud next to her. Ling shut the door, snickering as his face was gradually covered by the shutting door. He secured a lock on the outside of the closet and tucked the key in his pocket as he turned towards the door. Ling left the ramshackle building to go find the other Bei Fong guards and tell them that their search for Lao's daughter was over.

Toph used her knees and chin to drag herself towards where she heard Sokka's body land. She felt the skin on her chin being peeled off by the wood floors. She gritted her teeth rather than screaming in pain. Her nose poked Sokka's tunic. Toph repeatedly bumped her forehead into Sokka's side until he woke.

"Wake up, Snoozles! Wake up!"

Sokka groaned in agony as he regained consciousness. His head felt like it was about to explode. Sokka quickly saw the pickle he and Toph were in. It was difficult to see but he was able to make out the basic outlines of the things around him. He noticed Toph was lying right next to him, with her head near his side.

"What happened?" he moaned, fidgeting a bit to see how tight the ropes around his wrists and ankles were.

"That guy who claimed he owned an inn tricked us. He's some stupid guard that works my family," Toph said. "Apparently my father sent a whole bunch of them to search for me."

Sokka couldn't believe it. "How did he find us?"

Toph huffed, putting much hatred into his name, "_Musaku_ told him where we were."

Sokka's expression of disbelief and shock intensified. "Y-you're kid-kidding me."

"I wish I was. We have to get out of here. Any minute now Ling will be back with the other palace guards to take me home."

"Alright, everything's going to be fine. We just have to come up with a plan." Sokka's mind wandered from plans of escape to Zuna and her absence. "Poor Zuna," Sokka murmured. "If we get sent back to Gaoling we'll never find her. She'll be lost in the city forever."

"I have an idea!" Toph announced. "Okay Ponytail, you're gonna take the space earth bracelet off my arm and then hand it to me. I'll bend it into a saw type thing and cut my ropes, and then I'll free you."

Sokka did as much of a nod as he could. "Sounds good."

The plan was a success. Sokka handed Toph the bracelet and she was able to free herself. Toph crawled over to Sokka and cut through his ropes. The two didn't stand immediately for they had to let the feeling and sensation return to their arms and legs. Eventually, they stood and Sokka tried the door, but it was locked.

"Perfect," Toph grumbled.

"No problem!" Sokka exclaimed. "I'll just bust it down with my super strength!"

He charged at the wooden door with his left shoulder out. He barged into it but the door easily triumphed. Sokka spilled onto the floor, holding his throbbing shoulder as he whaled.

"That was impressive," said Toph sarcastically.

Sokka jumped off the floor and pointed toward the ceiling. "I can do this!"

Once again Sokka darted towards the door and barreled into it with all his strength. His body smacked against the solid surface and he flopped onto the ground.

Toph placed her hands on her hips as she stood over Sokka. "The level of your strength is terrifying."

"Yeah… not doing that again," Sokka groaned.

Toph stepped forward. "Step aside and watch the master metalbender at work."

Toph raised her hand towards the metal hinges of the door. Her fingers were spread as the lock shook from her metalbending. She then formed a fist, crushing the lock. Toph pushed the door open but it ended up crashing to the ground. Sokka was on his hands and knees and watched their previous obstacle hit the floor.

"Nice work." He nodded in approval.

Toph snatched Sokka's hand and hauled him out the door. "C'mon Boomerang Boy, we need to find Chang and see if he's found Zuna."

----

Toph and Sokka reached a portion of the middle ring where the streets were lined with merchants. They poked their heads out of an alleyway and spotted Chang manning his stand. Sokka was about to rush over and greet him but Toph stopped him by grabbing the back of his shirt. She pulled him back at her side, the two of them hidden in the shadows of the alley once again.

Sokka immediately noticed why Toph had stopped him. In Chang's hands was the package they had delivered for Musaku and standing in front of his booth was a group of grimy men. There were six of them and each wore clothing that was similar to a pirate's attire. The tallest man, and the one who appeared to be the leader of the group, chucked a sack at Chang and snatched the package from his hands. Chang felt the weight of the sack in both of his hands before opening it and smiling in satisfaction.

"Pleasure doing business with you," said Chang.

The leader tipped his hat upward to be sure Chang could see his intimidating scowl. "If anybody hears about this, we know who to go after."

"No one _will_ hear about this," Chang assured them.

The assumed pirates left Chang's booth and turned down an alley. One pirate gestured his two fingers at his eyes and then at Chang's, warning the merchant that he had his eyes on him. Chang was unmoved by his threat and continued tending his stand like nothing just happened. There was too much going on and too many people browsing the street of booths to notice the suspicious activity that just took place. However, Toph and Sokka witnessed the entire thing.

Toph pressed her back against the brick wall. "I knew there was something weird about that Chang guy."

"He must be working for the pirates and that means Musaku is too," whispered Sokka.

"Now we know why Musaku didn't want us to open that stupid package. There has to be something important in there that the pirates need."

"We should follow them," Sokka suggested. "They're definitely up to something."

Toph crouched forward and placed her hands against the stone ground. "They're heading for the upper ring. Follow my lead."

Toph cut across the street and walked speedily down the passageway the pirates just took. Sokka trailed her closely and surveyed the area to be sure no one spotted them, especially Chang. The pair followed the pirates through a maze of alleys and at one point one of the pirates looked over his shoulder because he sensed that someone was following them. Toph and Sokka quickly ducked behind a cart of cabbages.

After what seemed like hours of pursuing the group of mischievous men, the duo saw them enter an apartment that was surpassed by the others. When the last pirate entered the apartment and shut the door behind him, Sokka and Toph crept across the street and knelt under the windowsill.

"What are they doing?" Sokka asked.

Toph pressed her back and hands against the brick wall of the apartment. "They're just… standing there." A few seconds passed. "Oh, three more men just entered the room."

Sokka peered through the window, exposing as little of his head as possible. The men were all just standing in a circle in the center of the room. Unfortunately, they were unable to hear what the pirates were saying. One of them still clutched Chang's package. Sokka was almost spotted by one of the pirates but he was able to avoid being seen by quickly ducking below the window.

"All of them look like pirates and the weird thing is there's only like two pieces of furniture in the entire room," whispered Sokka.

"I don't think this apartment is theirs," said Toph.

Sokka snorted loudly. "Well that's obvious."

Toph smacked her hand over Sokka's mouth.

"What was that?!" a man inside the house shouted.

Toph narrowed her eyes at Sokka. "Nice going, Loud Mouth."

Another man said, "It sounded like it came from outside."

He slowly strutted over to the window, his boots clanking against the stone floor. He leaned out the open window and looked both ways for the perpetrator but the street was empty. The man shrugged his shoulders before shutting the window and returning to the group. Toph and Sokka still sat below the window, covering each other's mouths and shaking nervously. Once the window was shut they released one another and sighed.

Toph was tempted to smack Sokka over the head, but she knew that would just cause more ruckus. "Next time try talking a little louder."

Sokka didn't catch Toph's sarcasm. "Why would I do that? My loudness just almost got us killed."

Toph's ignored Sokka's stupidity and jumped to her feet while yanking Sokka up with her. "They just earthbended a giant hole in the center of the room. They're digging a tunnel, let's go."

Sokka stood before the gaping hole and gulped. The entrance into the cold earth appeared to be endless, one false move and you would fall forever.

Sokka trembled, "It's really,_ really_ dark down there."

Toph sighed and offered her hand. "Don't pee in your big boy pants." Sokka continued to shake and whimper cowardly. Toph rolled her eyes. "Just hold my hand."

Sokka took her hand and the two walked down tunnel. The entrance was a ways behind them but Sokka wasn't certain when this path was going to end. He just walked along blindly, holding Toph's hand. It was strange; the two seemed to fit together perfectly, like their fingers were pieces to a puzzle. This made Sokka feel even more uncomfortable holding her hand as they hiked in silence.

"Uhhh Toph, I think you can let go of my hand now." Sokka scratched the back of his neck.

Toph shrugged and whipped her arm up in the air. "If you say so."

Immediately after Toph let go Sokka tripped on a rock and fell flat on his face. Dirt went in his mouth and dust flew up his nose. He sneezed, eliminating the powdery dirt from his nostrils.

Toph held her ribs which ached with laughter. "Not so easy being blind is it?"

Sokka picked himself off the ground, using the walls of the tunnel to help.

Toph put her hand out once she had stopped laughing. "Stop being such a macho man and take my hand," she ordered.

Sokka pointed out, "That's funny, usually you're telling me to be more of a man."

Toph rephrased it for his liking. "Well then, man up and take my hand."

He smiled before lacing his fingers with hers. "That's more like it."

----

"We're finally here!" a pirate shouted in delight.

The pirate leader stepped forward with the package in his arms. "Men… the day has finally come."

He ripped open the package and chucked the lid to the box behind him. His face lit up once setting eyes on the prized item inside. He lifted it out of the container using his thumb and pointer finger, like he was pinching the fragile leg of a spider. It was a black key.

"It's beautiful," one stammered, lifting his hand to touch it.

The head pirate whacked his hand away. The abused pirate whimpered and returned to his spot at the back of the group. The group stood at the end of a tunnel that had a ceiling ornamented with purple crystal. A large, metal door stood before them that had three, rusty latches across the front and a silver wheel.

"Men, prepare 'erselves to feast yer eyes on the most legendary treasure in the Earth Kingdom!"

A voice startled the band of pirates. "I wouldn't count on that." There stood Toph and Sokka.

"We were 'eer first," the captain growled.

Sokka pointed at the metal door. "Whatever is in that vault belongs to Ba Sing Se."

"It belongs to us now," a pirate snickered.

"Guards from the royal palace are heading down here right now to arrest all of you," Toph warned them.

The captain grinned. "Nice try, but yer not scarin' us away from what we worked so hard to get our hands on fer decades."

"What exactly is in there that you want so badly?" asked Sokka.

A lesser pirate answered, "The Earth King's treasure."

The captain elbowed him in the ribs for revealing their desired riches.

Toph shrugged. "Never heard of it."

A few men grunted like they had just been stabbed in the chest. The captain placed his hand over his heart, taking Toph's statement as a personal insult.

"Never heard of it? Why that's like saying yee'v never heard of breathing," the captain claimed.

Sokka stepped forward and raised his hand slightly. "I've never heard of it either."

One pirate said in a spooky voice, "The Earth King's treasure is a legend."

"It's been said that one of the very first Earth Kings had a bountiful amount of riches locked away, in case Ba Sing Se would ever run itself into the brig. Its whereabouts has been passed down from Earth King to Earth King, and we found it first. So get out of 'eer before we make yee ourselves!" the captain admonished, shooing the pair with his sword.

Sokka removed his sword from its sheath. "We're not letting you near that money."

The captain chuckled, "I guess we'll have to do this the hard way."

The leader darted towards Sokka and their swords clashed. The rest of the pirates removed their swords and bellowed thunderously together. The eight rogues charged towards Toph like a stampede. The first two came at her from opposite sides, so when she simply ducked they knocked each other out with their swords. Another pirate that appeared to be unarmed pitched a couple of punches at Toph but she flipped the man by earthbending a rock from underneath him.

Three more pirates closed in on her. Each one was armed with a sword and slashing every which way. Toph managed to block each blow with her rock covered arms. When that wasn't enough, she shed the rock from her fists and stomped her right foot on the ground. The tunnel floor cracked and crumbled before a cloud of dust lifted from the ground. Then, three columns of earth rose up and barreled the men over like tidal waves.

Meanwhile, Sokka and the captain were engaged in an intense sword fight. The pirate kicked Sokka in the ribs, causing him to stumble back and crash into the wall of the cave. Sokka quickly ducked from the pirate's horizontal slash and tripped the man with his feet. He turned to see a second pirate heading his way. The attacker swung his sword from the left, attempting to swipe Sokka's sword out of his hand. However, Sokka used the man's opening from the right to knock his sword away.

Sokka focused again on the captain, who was swinging his silver blade from side to side. The two swords collided and the two men pushed away from them in order to knock their opponent on their feet.

"Not bad, kid, not bad," the captain commented.

Sokka stepped back, causing the head pirate to stumble forward. Sokka seized this opportunity and slashed the ruffian's sword out of his hand. He pointed his sword to his neck, confirming Sokka's victory.

Toph was busy fighting with the group's only earthbender, but he was easily defeated within a matter of seconds. However, the other pirates Toph had triumphed before got off the ground and prepared themselves for battle once again. The captain and his shipmates retrieved their weapons. Toph and Sokka stood facing the gang of armed pirates once again.

"Don't you know when to give up?" Toph asked them.

"You have no idea what we've been through to get this far. We're not giving up now," one replied determinedly.

Sokka told them, "Well, we're not letting you open that vault."

Once again the room erupted into an all out brawl. Swordsmen were charging at Toph from every direction. Sokka was battling against the captain and two others. The two of them were growing tired and wondered when the pirates would surrender. Every time they got knocked onto the ground they'd get right back up. Sokka was impressed yet disappointed he still had not defeated them.

The scuffle continued. The walls and ceiling of the tunnel quaked from the frequent earthbending and people crashing into the them. Sokka had this one man in a headlock and kicked an oncoming attacker in the gut. Toph punched two flying boulders to pieces before pegging the pirate with a column of earth.

The man trapped in Sokka's arms cried, "Hey, who's that?!"

Everyone immediately stopped their fighting to look at what the man was talking about. A woman with short, brown hair stood in front of the vault with the key in her hand. She was just about to stick the key inside the hole when she noticed everyone was watching her.

"Don't let me interrupt. You may keep fighting," she told them.

When the woman looked up Sokka realized that it was Zuna. His eyes were wide with shock and he smiled in relief. "Zuna, you're okay!"

The captain patted his pockets. "Oh no! The key must've fallen out of me pocket!"

Sokka and Toph ran over to her. "Where have you been?" Toph asked her.

"We're so glad you're okay!" Sokka was about ready to tackle her to ground and hug the woman.

"What are you doing down here? Where have you been?" Toph repeated, this time making it more obvious that she was annoyed with Zuna's disappearance.

"You look great! Did you find a doctor to treat you?" Sokka asked.

Zuna rolled her eyes. "You idiots, I was never sick."

Their smiles of delight were swapped with frowns of confusion. "What?"

"I only pretended to be sick." She said each syllable slowly for them to understand.

Toph and Sokka felt a stabbing pain in their chests. They found themselves out of breath. They were unable to speak. There were no to describe how confused, hurt and betrayed they felt.

Toph faced Sokka then Zuna. "You're kidding."

Zuna didn't answer, so Sokka stammered, "B-b-but w-why?"

Zuna stuck the key in the hole and explained, "I knew I wouldn't have been able to get here without an earthbender. So I figured why not get one of the best in the world?"

Toph muttered under her breath, "I _am_ the best in the world."

"Besides, you're all wasting your time. The vault is empty," she told them.

The captain pointed his sword at Zuna. "Liar!"

"If it's empty how come 'er trying to get inside it?" a pirate asked her. He turned to his brothers. "She's lyin'! She's just trying to get us out of the way so she can have the treasure all fer 'erself."

Sokka stepped forward. "Wait, how do you know it's empty?"

"My husband used to work as the treasurer for Ba Sing Se. He stole the key from the grand secretariat to steal the Earth King's Treasure, but when he opened the vault it was empty. When he heard some pirates were looking for the treasure he figured he could sell the useless key for a good amount of gold pieces. He knew you pirates would be stupid enough to fall for it-"

The captain jabbed the air with his sword. "No one calls us stupid and gets away with it."

Three pirates charged at Zuna and she was able to avoid the attacks. The others went for Toph and Sokka while the captain headed for the key. When he arrived at the vault, he began to turn the wheel to lift the latches. The vault was almost open when he felt a significant amount of weight latch onto his back. Zuna had leapt onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. The captain swung his sword around his head to get her off, not caring if he ended up stabbing the woman in the face.

Another pirate ran over to the vault and removed the key from the slot. The latch fell back down into its hold and the vault was completely locked once again.

Toph and the earthbending pirate were at it again while Sokka fought off three other swordsmen. They surrounded him in a triangle formation. The three grinned at each other before they each spun around with their swords aimed outward. Sokka fell to his stomach to avoid the spinning attack. Two of the pirates accidentally sliced each other on the shoulders. They began to argue and the third stood there laughing. Sokka took advantage by rolling onto his back and kicking his feet out as he spun, causing the three pirates to topple to the ground.

Zuna was attempting to steal back the key from the pirate that had taken it out of the door, so the captain and one other ran to help protect the key. Zuna punched the man right in the nose and she laughed victoriously. The key flew through the air and as it caught each person's eye everyone ran to catch it. It hit the ground and everyone except Toph dived for it.

The pile of people wrestling over the key shook the cave. Sokka's hair was pulled out of its warrior wolf tail and he felt someone bite his ankle. The captain and Zuna were rolling over each other fighting over the key which Zuna currently held, with about four other men on top of them.

"If the vault is empty how come yee want the key so bad?" the captain grunted.

Zuna kicked the pirate off her and got to her feet. The battle was about to resume on foot.

"Why doesn't everyone just shut up and open the vault to see if it's empty rather than kill each other over it?!" Toph shouted.

Everyone looked at each other and shrugged. They were getting too tired to argue against it anyway. The nine pirates stood there with their eyes glistening in anticipation as the leader stuck the key in the hole and twisted it. Zuna crossed her arms while Toph and Sokka just stood at the side. If the vault wasn't empty, they were ready to fight against the pirates and Zuna in order to protect the treasure. The head pirate spun the wheel which lifted the three, long latches and opened the door. Each pirate shook in excitement, ready to see the Earth King's Treasure sitting inside the vault.

"What?! It's empty?!" the pirate boomed, his face coloring red with rage. "How could this be?!"

Zuna smirked. "Told you so." She strutted inside the vault.

Sokka grabbed the back of her shirt collar. "Wait a minute, where do you think you're going?"

She glared at him over her shoulder. "There's something inside here that I desire."

The pirate earthbender pointed a finger at Zuna. "So there is treasure in there!"

Each pirate readied their weapons before Zuna said, "No… but there is something valuable."

Zuna counted the bricks on the wall towards the left. Voices and loud footsteps echoed from down the tunnel.

"Guards, this way!" they heard a man shout.

The pirates looked at each other in a panic. They no longer cared about the vault or whatever valuable Zuna was seeking. The earthbender pounded both feet onto the ground and pitched his fist in the air. The group of thieves escaped through the passageway the earthbender had created. Meanwhile, Zuna didn't seem too worried about the guards heading towards them.

Sokka and Toph waited for the guards to come arrest Zuna. They'd have to worry about the pirates later. Moments later the guards arrived.

"Don't move!" one shouted. There were six of them.

"There's a woman in the vault trying to steal something," Sokka informed them with his hands up.

Three pairs of earthen gloves flew towards them. Toph, Sokka, and Zuna's hands were tied behind their backs. Toph could've easily bended the handcuffs off of her but she thought it was best not too since they were obviously in enough trouble as it was.

The six guards led the three of them out of the Crystal Catacombs. A wooden carriage brought them to one of Ba Sing Se's prisons in the lower ring. Toph and Sokka were shoved into a jail cell with a few other thieves inside. Zuna was being questioned by the guards.

Sokka gripped the bars of his jail cell. "There's been a mistake! We aren't the criminals here!" he called after the guards as they exited the hall of prison cells.

"We were trying to stop some pirates from stealing what ever was in that vault!" Toph added.

The palace guards left without looking back. Sokka fell to the ground, slumped against the wall. Toph did her best to sit down next to him without accidentally sitting on top of him. She couldn't see because they had been locked in a wooden cell.

Sokka held his head. "This is terrible… what an awful day. I can't believe Zuna was faking it all along… we spent all that time looking for her when she was probably off committing crimes."

"First Musaku and now Zuna? That couple is just evil. No wonder they're married," said Toph. "They're perfect for each other."

Sokka leaned his head back against the cold, brick wall. "I just can't believe how much has happened today. I can't believe we went through all that stuff in the last two weeks just so some lady could get her hands on whatever was inside that vault."

"What do you think was in there that Zuna wanted so badly?" Toph asked.

Sokka shrugged. "I have no idea but she did say it was something valuable."

A man in green with metal handcuffs on his hip and a brown helmet on his head appeared before their cell. Each of the other prisoners perked up when he arrived. They were each hoping he had the wonderful news that they were being released. However, he asked for Toph and Sokka to stand. The prisoners frowned and went back to sulking in the corner.

The man led the pair into a room where there was a table. A few, large candles were lit and three chairs sat under the table. The prison guard stopped at the door but told Sokka and Toph to sit. A man, that seemed to be in charge of the place, arrived moments later. He was not overweight but he had a wide build. His head was square and bald but he did have a grey beard. The man wore olive green robes with golden plates protecting his shoulders, elbows, and hips. He too had a pair of silver handcuffs.

"Hello," he greeted. He walked across the room and sat down across from them. "My name is Zheng. I am the one in charge of this particular prison in Ba Sing Se. What would your names be?"

"Sokka."

"Toph."

Zheng folded his hands on the table. "So why are you here today?"

Neither Sokka nor Toph answered. Both were busy thinking about the day's chaotic occurrences and how Zuna betrayed them.

"Let me rephrase that for you. Why do you _think _you're here today?" He looked at both of them with a patient smile.

No reply.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay look. I just need you to tell me your side of the story so I can decide what I need to do with you. The sooner you talk to sooner you can get out of here. Got it?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story," said Sokka.

"Try to make it as brief as you can without skipping any major details." Zheng pulled out a quill and a sheet of paper to take notes on.

Sokka explained the whole situation of bringing Zuna to Be Sing Se because her husband claimed she was deathly ill. Then of how she got lost once they arrived and they searched for her for hours on end. They delivered a package from Musaku to Chang and Chang sold it to the pirates, knowing the vault was empty. He planned to split the money with Musaku. Sokka and Toph suspected something was up so they followed the pirates. In the Crystal Catacombs they ran into a guard who went to fetch help. Numerous battles broke out. The pirates escaped. The whole thing ended with them getting arrested.

"So the key to the vault was what was inside the package?" Zheng asked, rubbing his chin. He paced the floor behind the table as Sokka told the story.

"Yes."

"And Musaku is a guard that works for your family?" he asked Toph.

"Yep."

Zheng stared at the ground. "Well, I questioned Zuna before you two. From the information I gathered I suspect that Musaku and Zuna planned this whole thing to get whatever was inside the vault."

"Well, you see, sir. The vault was empty," said Sokka.

Zheng scratched his chin again. "Curious… very curious. Well, thank you both for your time. I'll have my men look into it. You're free to go."

Sokka and Toph stood from the table.

"Are you freeing Zuna too?" Sokka asked.

Zheng shook his head and walked towards the door. "No. We'll have to do some more investigating until I figure out what to do with her."

Toph and Sokka bowed before leaving the prison. "Thank you, sir."

----

"Why am I not surprised you two got yourselves arrested?"

Iroh poured Toph and Sokka each a cup of tea. They couldn't wait to take their first sip of the hot beverage. They were exhausted and had quite a few scraps and bruises to show for it. Both had bumps on their heads from getting knocked unconscious and Toph had a small, red scrap on her chin.

Toph, Sokka, Iroh and one other were the only ones in the Jasmine Dragon. The sun had disappeared behind the great walls of Ba Sing Se. The streets were almost empty of civilians. The whole city seemed a lot more peaceful and quieter than usual. Toph and Sokka benefited from this. Both had splitting headaches.

"We were just trying to stop Zuna and the pirates from stealing the treasure," said Sokka. He rested his forehead on the table.

Iroh served himself a cup of tea and joined the pair. "All my years living in Ba Sing Se and I've never heard of this treasure."

Toph left the steam from emanating from the tea tickle her nose. "We hadn't heard of it either but there are all these crazy people after it so it has to be something."

Iroh sipped his tea before replying, "I wouldn't be so sure. There are plenty of people who spend their whole life chasing after myths or legends, with just hope to push them along."

Sokka had a feeling Iroh was talking about Zuko in a way.

Toph leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I'm just glad that it's all over."

Sokka lifted his head off the table and smiled at her. "Yeah, me too. We deserve a good night's rest."

The last customer of the day left her tip on the table. She bowed to the three of them and they nodded back. Iroh told her to please come again. The woman headed out the door, with her hands in her sleeves.

"So what are two planning next?" Iroh asked.

"I don't know." Sokka gulped down his last bit of tea.

Toph leaned forward in her chair. "I had a crazy idea."

"What's that?"

"I think we should go look for the Earth King's treasure," Toph proposed.

Sokka flashed a look. "What?! Are you insane?"

"I know it probably doesn't exist and all but it'll be an adventure. Just like old times. Besides we can't stay in Ba Sing Se for long. Ling and my other palace guards are still looking for me. I don't want to go back home."

"It doesn't make much sense to find a treasure we were trying to protect earlier today," Sokka pointed out.

"We don't have to take it. I just want to know where it is," Toph replied. _And spend more time with you_.

Sokka couldn't think of anything to say. He wanted to say yes so badly, but for some reason he kept uttering excuses of why they shouldn't go for it.

"Those pirates are probably still after it."

"Exactly!" Toph exclaimed, pounding her fists on the table. "And we can stop 'em! Kicking butt just like we used to."

"I don't know…"

"No offense Snoozles, but you don't have much to go home to." Toph shot up from her chair. "So what are you afraid of? Be spontaneous and stupid and say yes!"

Sokka looked at Iroh. Iroh nodded and he cracked a smile.

Sokka jumped to his feet. "Alright Toph, let's do it!"

The two began to jump around in excitement and celebration. Toph was overwhelmed with joy she hugged Sokka tightly without thinking.

"Do either of you know anything about this treasure's whereabouts?" Iroh stood up and asked them.

Sokka shook his head. "Nope!"

Iroh looked at them with a raised eye brow. Normally he'd be delighted to see the two of them so happy. But that was the thing. They were both so… _happy_. The duo was all giggles and smiles. Sokka didn't take his eyes off Toph. If he hadn't heard the whole conversation he would assume they just got engaged. That's how happy they were.

After all the excitement Toph and Sokka weren't that tired anymore. It was getting late and Iroh closed up shop. He showed Toph and Sokka to their own rooms. Neither of them could fall asleep. They tossed and turned thinking about the adventures that waited for them with their best friend the next day.

**A/N: Can I just say that I love the Jasmine Dragon? It just seems like such a happy place. If my town had one I'd hang out there ALLLLLLLL the time! Maybe I should open up a shop and call it the Jasmine Dragon when I'm older? Anyone who walks in and knows the name from Avatar gets a free cup of tea :]**

**So I apologize for providing a crappy ending to this crappy story. For a while I didn't think I would even post this because I hated it so much (I wrote this chapter months and months ago, thinking I was still gonna be writing beyond this chapter). So yeah, not exactly the ending I originally planned but I thought finishing the story was better than quitting and completely giving up on it.**

**A final thanks to my betas and everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or showed whatever kind of love they had towards this story! I very much appreciate it :] I will be writing more Tokka in the future so if you're a fan of my writing look out for that! I may try to redo this pirate idea but next time do it right. I may do it as more of an AU rather than what I tried to do here… Anyway, that's all for now! Thanks again! :D**


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